Famous Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India

Introduction

The Northeast region of India is home to more than two hundred tribes and ethnic communities. This region is often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Each tribe or community has its own festivals, most of which are centered on sowing, harvesting and New Year.

Tribal Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

• Rikham Pada Dance: This dance is the most important folk dance of the Nishi people. This dance is accompanied by songs in the form of ballads narrating tales of love.
  • It is performed by women to offer their devotion to the gods.
• Potung Dance: Potung is the most important folk dance for the Adi tribe. This dance is performed exclusively by women during the Solung salt harvest festival.
• Delong Dance: Delong is a men's primal folk dance performed during the Ator festival.
  • This dance depicts the making or repairing of fences around the village fields to protect them from animals.
• Damida Dance: Among the Apatani people, the Damida folk dance is performed to mark the beginning and end of the festivities.
  • This dance performed by women depicts various aspects of traditional agriculture and is characterized by the amazing footwork and hand gestures of the dancers.
• Cham Dance: The Monpa people, who follow Mahayana Buddhism, have 22 different types of folk dances called 'Cham'.
  • Pha Cham is performed by a single person dressed in monk's garb wearing a pig mask.
  • On the other hand, Shanag Cham is performed by twelve dancers who represent Tantric priests.

Tribal Dances of Assam

• Bagrumba Dance: The Bagrumba dance is performed by young Bodo women usually in the spring season to pray for the prosperity and well-being of the community.
• Gumrag Soman: Among the Mising people, Gumrag Soman is the most popular folk dance which is a part of Ali-e-ye Ligang (spring seed sowing festival).
• Ritnong Chingdi, Lingpam Saukayoun and Hacha Hekan Dance: These dances are agriculture related folk dances of the Karki tribal community.
• Nimson Kerung and Banjar Kekan: Nimson Kerung and Banjar Kekan are folk dances associated with death rituals.

Tribal Dances of Meghalaya

• Nongkrem Dance: In Meghalaya, the Khasi people perform the Nongkrem dance during the Nongkrem festival.
  • Dedicated to a local deity called U Lei Shillong, this dance is performed by young women wearing their best colourful traditional jewellery.
• Wangala or Hundred Drum Dance: It is part of the Wangala festival of the Garo community, which marks the end of the hard work period and is held to pray for a good harvest.

Mizoram

• Mizo Folk Dances: Almost all Mizo folk dances like Cheraw, Khuvallam, Chhieh Lam, Chai, Rallu Lam, Solakia, Sarlamkai and Par Lam are closely related to the agricultural cycle.
• Cheraw: often called the Bamboo Dance, is the oldest Mizo dance and is believed to have existed as early as the 1st century AD.
• Khullam Nritya: Usually performed by men, it is also called guest dance
• Lam Dance: Young Mizo men and women, as children of nature, celebrate the beauty of the mountains and rivers through the Par Lam dance.
  • This dance is slow but very graceful and mainly involves movements of their hands like waves of a flowing river.

Manipur

• Ashraai Odo: For the Mao tribe, Ashrai Odo is a colourful folk dance known for its melodious rhythm and graceful movements.
• Luiwat Phijjak: The people of the Tangkhul tribe consider Luiwat Phijjak as their most important folk dance.
  • Depicting various stages of farming and simple tribal lifestyle, this dance is performed during all traditional festivals.
• Shim Lam and Kit Lam: Among the Kabui tribes, Shim Lam or Fly Dance and Kit Lam are the two most popular folk dances.
  • Shim Lam is performed during the Gang-Ngai Festival and depicts the story of Tajuibon, a flying insect with bright wings,
  • The Kit Lam dance, on the other hand, is a harvest festival in which the rhythmic dance imitates the movement of crickets.

Nagaland

• Sovi Kehu Dance: The most popular folk dance of the Angami tribe is Sovi Kehu. It is a community dance that takes place in an open space in the center of the village.
• Yimdongsu Tsungsang: Yimdongsu Tsungsang is a famous folk dance of the Ao tribe. It is a celebration of heritage and spirituality
• Oh Heo Dance: Among the Chakesang people, Oh Heo is a popular folk dance performed by men during festivals and celebrations.
  • The dancers imitate the movements of various birds and animals, such as cockfighting and the flapping of wings of ducks, etc.

Tripura

• Hojagiri Dance: In Tripura, the Reang tribals perform the Hojagiri dance during the Hojagiri festival or Lakshmi Puja.
  • While a group of men initiate the song and play the kham (drums) and sumui (flute), four to six women perform a dance during which they depict the entire cycle of jhum (slash and burn) cultivation.
• Garia Dance: The Jamatia and Kalai tribes perform the Garia dance during the Garia or Shiva puja.
  • In this, young men and women go from house to house, place an icon of Lord Garia in the middle of the courtyard and form a circle around it in an anticlockwise direction, singing and dancing.