The Ao tribe of Nagaland is famous for their Nsuirolians war dance. It is the Cock dance where the dancers perform a cockfight scene for the entertainment of the crowd. The Nsuirolians dance is an attraction at the Hornbill festival of Nagaland.
Nsuirolians Dance Performance
The Nsuirolians dance is performed exclusively by the men of the tribe. It involves highly energetic movements of the body and skillful use of the props. Nsuirolians dance is performed by a group. The men enter the stage with a rhythmic movement of the feet matched with the beats of the drum. The drummer is leading the group. They enter the stage forming two parallel lines, and they hop like a cock. Then the drummer stands at the center while the other dancers spread out forming a circle.
With two consecutive beats, the men lift their right and left legs, one at a time, and stamp back on the ground. On the third beat, they hop and land with both feet together. This is repeated throughout.
The props used in the Nsuirolians dance are a spear and a long vertical shield. They enact fighting actions using the props. The dance picks up the pace gradually. Soon, the men are making high jumps and striking the spear against one another. The entire scene becomes interesting with each passing minute. The talented dancers bring to life the real spirit of a cockfight through their dance.
Costume Used
While performing Nsuirolians dance, the top is bare or covered with a piece of cloth wrapped around in a cross pattern across the chest. On the bottom, they wear a loincloth tied around the waist with another cloth. They wear colorful armbands. The headgear is the attractive part. It is adorned with feathers and long sticks of bamboo with colorful bands on the head.
Some matching jewelry is also worn around the neck, wrists, and ankles. These are mostly metallic, while some beads and shells can also be seen.