Cheraw (dance)

Cheraw
Mizo girls performing the Cheraw dance
GenreFolk dance
Year1st Century A.D
Origin

Cheraw dance is a traditional bamboo dance performed by the Mizo people of Mizoram, India, consisting of mostly six to eight people holding pairs of bamboo staves on another horizontally placed bamboo on the ground.[2] The dance is considered one of the oldest known Mizo dances, with origins possibly dating to the 1st century AD, during the era before the Kuki-Mizo migration into the Chin Hills and later Mizoram.[3][4]

Mizoram set a Guinness World Record in 2010, when over 10,736 dancers performed Cheraw in unison for eight minutes on a 3 km stretch in Aizawl.[3]

Dance

In the Cheraw dance, pairs of long bamboo poles are rhythmically tapped on the ground and struck together by participants, usually men, seated opposite each other. Female dancers move in synchronization with this rhythm, stepping in and out of the bamboo poles, crossing over them and performing controlled hops, slides and glides.[4] As the dance progresses, both the speed of the bamboo tapping and the complexity of the dancer's footwork gradually increase. The dance requires careful coordination and timing.[5][6][7]

The choreography of Cheraw incorporates movements inspired swaying of trees or the flight of birds.[4] The bamboo poles generate the core rhythm, modern versions of the dance are sometimes accompanied by traditional Mizo instruments, including the khuang (drum) and darbu (gong), cymbals.[5][3][6]

It is mainly showcased during community gatherings, weddings and national events.[6]

Modern

Later practice of Cheraw is accompanied by accordion, mandolin and guitar played in non traditional clothes.[8]

Dress code

The common costumes worn by the performers during the Cheraw dance include:

Women

  • Vakiria - is a female headress made of bamboo and decorated with feathers, beetles wings and other colorful objects, from the 1960s it evolved into the present form.
  • Kawrchei - White red green black blouse.
  • Puanchei - White red green black sarong.

Men

All these traditional costumes of Cheraw Dance come in vibrant colors that further brighten up the surrounding environment.

  • Artists perform Cheraw dance during the inauguration of the Chapchar Kut 2010 festival in Aizawl, Mizoram
    Artists perform Cheraw dance during the inauguration of the Chapchar Kut 2010 festival in Aizawl, Mizoram
  • Cheraw dance performed by the Students of Mizoram University in Aizawl
    Cheraw dance performed by the Students of Mizoram University in Aizawl

See also

References

  1. ^ Santosh (14 January 2024). "Folk Dance Of Mizoram | Traditional Dances of Mizoram". World Blaze. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Mizo Cheraw Dance (Indian Administrative Service - IAS)". Prepp. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "A Dance with Bamboo-- from the Land of Mizos". Joyofdance. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "The rhythmic beats of Cheraw Dance". satyagraah.
  5. ^ a b Gkseries (23 May 2025). "Cheraw dance - Indina Folk Dance". Gkseries.com. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Bamboo Dance (Cheraw) – Traditional Dance of Mizoram - Humans of Northeast India | HONEI". 10 June 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Miscellaneous Arts and Crafts in Mizoram | IGNCA". Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ Pachuau, Joy (13 April 2015). The Camera as a witness. Cambridge. p. 283. ISBN 9781107073395.


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