| Digaru Mishmi Buiya Dance
The Digaru Mishmis have two types of dances called Buiya and Nuiya. The
Buiya dance has two types of movements and it is performed for entertainment
while the Nuiya is a ritual-dance performed by a priest.
Buiya dance is performed on any festive occasion like
the Duiya, Tazampu and Tanuya festivals which are performed for the prosperity
and good health of the performer and his household. This dance may also
performed after a feast arranged by a family to entertain the fellow villagers
who co-operate with it opening a new field.
The dance is performed in the passage which runs along
one side of the house from the front to the rear. Men and women take part
in this dance. There is no limit to the age of the dancers although generally
children and old persons do not take active part in the dance itself but
merely sit by, as spectators. There is no special costume for this dance,
so they perform this dance wearing their usual dress. The male dancer
wears a loin-cloth a sleeveless jacket, a turban and ear-rings. The female
dancer wears a blouse, a long skirt reaching down to the ankle with a
short one wrapped over it and a side-bag on the left side. They wear necklaces,
large silver-ear-plugs and a silver fillet with its strap studded with
coins or cowries.
The dancers stand in a line, one behind the other, in
the passage. One of the dancers plays a drum while another plays a gong.
Cymbals are played, if available, by another dancer. Keeping time
to the beats of the drum, gong and cymbals, the dancers take one step
forward with the right foot, then gently bring the left foot up to the
heel of the left one flexing the knees as before. They dance forward repeating
this sequence of movements till they reach the rear of the passage with
the same sequence of movements. Thus they dance up and down the passage
of the house. They may or may not sing to the accompaniment of the
dance. When they sing a song, it may be solo or in chorus.
There is another movement when they dance with skipping
steps but with no accompanying song. The skipping steps of the female-dancers
are lower and graceful while those of the male-dancers are higher and
more vigorous.
The dancers get no remuneration. There is no formal training
but they learn the dance movements by imitating those of the elders.
|
