Nicobari Men's War Dance

Understand

Where Nicobari Men's War Dance comes from

The Nicobari men's war-dance is the war-dance of the men of the Nicobarese community, performed at the celebrations of the village warriors and at the cultural festivals of the island. The dance is associated with the warrior-ancestry of the Nicobarese people and is one of the documented regional traditions of the Nicobar Islands. The form is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the union territory and at the regional Nicobari community festivals.

How it's practiced

The Nicobari war-dance is performed by men of the Nicobarese community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men wield the small mock-weapons (the bow-and-arrow, the spear) of the Nicobarese tradition and perform in coordinated mock-combat sequences. The dance is energetic, with the men's lunges and the small steps of the Nicobarese tradition. Music is the drum of the Nicobarese tradition. Costume is the everyday Nicobarese dress — the coconut-frond wrap. Performances are at the courtyard and at the cultural programmes of the union territory.