TRIBAL DANCES OF MANIPUR

The Hill tribes of Manipur though divided into a number of clans and sections, may be grouped into two main divisions - Naga and Kuki .There are more than twenty nine scheduled tribes in Manipur. These people have their distinctive languages and cultural heritages of their own. All these tribes are proud of their special cloth designs and folk dances. Those folk dances are extremely colorful. Most of them are simple in respect of stepping, choreography and tales. The dances are closely associated with the very evaluation of the tribes over the ages. The dances have also artistic sense. Special mention may be made of the Kabui-dance which is definitely the most developed and sophisticated of the tribal group. Other noted tribal dance in Manipur are Tangkhul Naga Dance, Mao Dance, Mizo Bamboo Dance, Tarao War Dance, Kabui War Dance, Tangkhul Naga Hunting Dance, Surung Dance and Rengmai Naga Dance etc. Furthermore Anals, Moyons and Marings also have their folk dances.