Chang Lo is a colourful dance form originated in the North Eastern state of Nagaland in India. This local folk dance is also referred to as ‘Sua La’. According to ancient tradition this style of dancing was developed to rejoice the victory over the enemy by the Chang, a tribal community in the region. At present, Chang Lo is performed in a three day festival known to be ‘Poanglem’. It marks the beginning of the harvest season in the state.
As this dance form was developed in particular to celebrate the victory of a warrior over his opponent, the costume of the Chang Lo resembles of that of a warrior. The dance is performed by both male and female dancers. While the male costume consists of the original armour of a Naga warrior, the female artists have more feminine and colourful attires. Chang Lo is a group dance which even includes enactment of drama. This indigenous folk dance has its unique style of dancing. The technique has maximum movements of the feet and minimum movement of the upper part of the body.
The group of performers which include both male and female dancers make proper synchronizing movement with the music with lot of chanting and clapping. There is no particular school or training centre to learn Chang Lo. The training of this traditional folk dance of Nagaland is passed on from one generation to another and is going on like this for many centuries. This is really a scintillating dance form.
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