The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript notes on the Zemi Nagas by Ursula Graham Bower

caption: dances
caption: Nia-rao-tsui-le
medium: notes
production:
person: Graham Bower/ Ursula
date: 1939-1946
refnum: Betts papers, ring binder 1
acquirer:
person: Centre for South Asian Studies, Cambridge
text: Nia-rao-tsui-le.
text: Dance with two light poles, one held by line of girls, one of bucks, facing each other. They swing the poles up an down in time as they advance towards one another, and on meeting, swing up and change the poles (held horizontally) over, the girls passing under, the bucks over.
text: Repeated first slow time, then quick time, then slow again.
text: Known also to Asalu group. As this dance and the 2 preceding ones are done in the small hours as a game to enliven a flagging party, they are rarely seen by Europeans. I have seen Nia-rao-tsui at Hangrum and at Magulong dance-parties.