Folk Dance & Music of Mizoram

The folk dance and music of Mizoram, just like everywhere else, is interesting, delightful, and reflects the vibrant spirit of the locales. Most of the dance forms here are group dances. Cheraw is the major dance form of this northeast Indian state. Also referred to as bamboo dance, Cheraw is one of the oldest dances of the Mizos. People use long bamboo staves in this dance form. Girls wear traditional Mizo costumes and the dance is performed with great precision. The main instruments used are drums and gongs.

Khuallam is the dance of the guests and is performed by those who are invited from other states. Gongs are the main instruments used in the folk music of Mizoram and no song is sung in this dance. Khuallam is performed by swaying the traditional Mizo cloth wrapped around the shoulder. Chailam is also a popular dance form in the state performed during Chapar Kut. In this dance, men hold women's shoulders while women hold men's waist, and musicians, who play drums and the Mithun's horn, are placed right in the center of the circles. One of the oldest dance forms of Mizoram, Sarlamkai is performed as a part of celebration after the victory in a battle. In this dance, men hold shields and swords, swinging it to the rhythm of gongs.