Cheraw (Garo bamboo dance variant)

Understand

Where Cheraw (Garo bamboo dance variant) comes from

The Garo bamboo-dance is the Garo variant of the broader bamboo-stave dance tradition of the Northeast (which includes the Mizo Cheraw and the Naga bamboo-dance). The dance is performed by men and women of the Garo community in coordination with the bamboo poles at the Wangala festival and at the village celebrations. The form is one of the documented regional traditions of the Garo community and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state.

How it's practiced

The Garo bamboo-dance is performed by men and women of the Garo community in coordination with the bamboo poles. The men (typically 4-8) sit facing each other and rhythmically tap pairs of long bamboo staves on a horizontally-placed bamboo on the ground. The women dancers step in and out of the clashing poles, crossing over them and performing controlled hops and slides. The dance is performed at the Wangala festival and at the village celebrations. Music is the Garo drums (the dama and the kram) and the small cymbals. Costume is the traditional Garo dress — the egring and the colourful shawl. Performances are at the Wangala festival and at the cultural programmes of the state.