Come next year, Mizoram will literally dance its way into the world record books. Addressing a gathering at the second-day of the ””Zofest 2009”” on Saturday, Mizoram Art and Culture Minister P C Zoramsangliana said, ””Preparations are on to set a new Guinness World Record for the worlds largest dance ensemble. More than 10,000 dancers will perform mass Cheraw during the Chapchar Kut festival at Aizawl next March or April,””.
Cheraw is a colourful dance of the Mizos. The dance is popularly known as ””Bamboo Dance””, called so because the dancers dance to the beat of bamboo sticks. ””Zofest 2009””, a festival of various Mizo ethnic tribes, kic-started with a riot of colours on Friday.
Stressing the need to expose the rich Mizo cultures to the world, Zoramsangliana said Mizo folklores needed to be translated into English and the dances needed to be performed on the international arena.
Different tribes of Mizo origins from neighbouring Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Myanmar and Bangladesh performed their cultural dances and songs at the cultural extravaganza.
The two-day festival, sponsored by the North-East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur, and organised by the state Art and Culture Department and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), aimed to promote and develop the social and cultural affinity of the Mizo people.
Zoramsanga praised the sense of unity among various Mizo tribes scattered across the region.
Regretting that the rich cultures of the people of North-east were tarnished by insurgency, the minister underlined the need to preserve the hard-earned peace in Mizoram.
””Behind the fun and celebrations, the event aims to bring together various tribes of Mizoram to promote unity. Political and social re-unification of all tribes may not be possible, but a mental unity can be achieved through music and celebration. That is what the Zofest endeavours,”” MZP president C Lalhmchhuana said.
The endeavour was started in Churachandpur in Manipur in 2002 under the aegis of MZP. This year more than 13 tribes of Mizo origins were represented apart from the various Mizo-sub-tribes in the state.
Highlights of the programme included presentation of cultural dances and modern songs rendered by various artistes, who already made a name for themselves in the state, and a costume parade of different tribes of the North-east.