Chai (Chai dance)

Understand

Where Chai (Chai dance) comes from

Chai (also called Chai dance) is the Mizo men's festival dance, performed at the village festivals and at the community celebrations of the Mizo people. The dance is performed by men of the community in a circle, with the central singer leading the song and the men of the community dancing in coordinated steps. The Chai is associated with the celebration of the Mizo harvest and with the regional Mizo community-life. The dance is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state and at the regional Mizo festivals.

How it's practiced

Chai is performed by groups of men of the Mizo community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men perform in coordinated steps to the song of the Chai cycle and to the rhythm of the khuang (drum) and the small cymbals. The dance is gentle, with the men performing the small stepping rhythm of the Mizo tradition. Costume is the everyday Mizo dress — the puandum and the small regional cap. Performances are at the courtyard and at the cultural programmes of the state.