Khual Lam
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| Etymology | "Dance of the guests" |
|---|---|
| Genre | Folk dance |
Khual Lam is a Mizo traditional dance from the Indian state of Mizoram that is performed for guests.[1] Nowadays, it is performed in every major Mizo cultural festival but still maintains the tradition of performing for guests such as the state Chief Minister, or government officials.[2]
Costume
Female dancers wear Puandum, which is a handwoven big black shawl striped in red, yellow, and green. The Puandum is draped over the shoulders of the females. The size of the stripes may vary.[3]
Male dancers wear Ngotekherh, a traditional big white shawl with black patterns with and black and white stripes. The black patterns may vary from square patterns to stripes. It is also draped over the shoulders of the males.[3]
Choreography
![](#/media/File:A_group_of_dancers_from_Mizoram_performing_"Khuallam"_dance_at_the_Republic_Day_Folk_Dance_Festival_2004_which_was_inaugurated_by_the_President_Dr._A.P.J_Abdul_Kalam_in_New_Delhi_on_January_24,_2004.jpg)
For the first part of a typical Khual Lam dance, dancers extend an arm while taking a step forward and retract the arm back to sway their shawls and do the same for the other arm and leg. The second part of the dance is where a male and female face each other; they first sway side to side, then bend, and push their elbow/arm backward for the shawl/cloth to move.[1]
On rare occasions such as cultural festivals, extra steps are included that are more traditional, such as lifting the cloth high then squatting down while retracting your arm, and repeating the step. It would look appealing when viewed from above as the former Mizo chiefs would view from a mountain.[1]
Accompaniment
No songs are sung during the dance, rather, it is accompanied by traditional instruments mainly the dar (gong) and khuang (drum) with usually a 7/8 beat.[4]