Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Cheraw - dance of the Mizos...commonly known as the "Bamboo dance"



The Cheraw [pronounciation: 'Che' as in 'check' and '-raw' as in 'raw fish' :)..that's the best i could come up with for people who don't speak the Mizo language] known to many as the “bamboo dance” apparently because of the use of long bamboo staves, is probably the most popular and most beautiful dance of the Mizo people.  In a nutshell: this dance, in stark contrast to its energetic and colorful demeanor, was originally performed in olden days for mothers who had died at childbirth so that their souls could enter ‘Pialral’ or ‘paradise’ safely. However, with the passage of time, this dance was incorporated into festive occasions and is now commonly performed during big festivals. There are many variations to this lore, and others may beg to differ, but i'll stick to this one for now. :)



There are several form of this dance, and one of these is known as the ‘Bualpui cheraw’ or "Buh za aih". The bamboo staves are arranged criss-crossed over each other, and the women dressed in vibrant traditional clothes, have to dance with great precision and grace to the rhythmic clapping of the bamboos by the men, and the beating of the drum. This exuberant dance is thrilling, elegant and engaging….a pride of the Mizos. The dance performed here by the Mizo students in the University of Hyderbad (India) is complemented by a song infused with traditional tunes and sounds. 

See the video here... 

  
or here for a panned out view...same thing though :)...

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