Yak dance
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A Monpa pantomime dance in which two men inside a yak costume dance with a rider and masked herders, celebrating the yak that sustains life in the high hills.
FolkWhere: Arunachal Pradesh (Monpa community, Tawang and West Kameng)Occasion: Losar and other festivals
| Performed by | Men: two inside the yak costume, with a rider and masked herders |
|---|---|
| Costume | A yak body of black cloth and yak hair with a carved head, and masks for the herders |
| Music and instruments | Drums and cymbals |
How it is performed
- The 'yak' enters, swinging its head and stamping, with a rider on its back.
- Masked herders dance around it, coaxing and teasing the animal.
- The yak bucks, rests and rises again in time with the drums.
- The dance ends with the yak being blessed and led away.
Significance
Yaks give the Monpa and Brokpa herders milk, butter, cheese, wool and transport. The dance honours this animal and, according to local tradition, recalls how the yak was first found.