The Mokokchung Dance Community, founded on November 12, 2020, by Meyitemsu, Akum Slomo, and Akumyanger, aims to rekindle the vibrant dance culture of the region. Established to promote dancing among the youth, the community serves as a platform for self-expression and creative exploration. Meyitemsu serves as the President, Akum Slomo is the General Secretary, and Sungkum handles finances.
According to Akum, the dance scene in Mokokchung experienced a significant boom between 2011 and 2014. During this period, numerous dancers, dance crews, and competitions emerged, drawing high levels of public interest and attendance. However, the scene gradually declined as senior dancers moved away for personal reasons.
The Mokokchung Dance Community made its debut in the dance competition arena by participating in Namaste Northeast, a major dance workshop for the North-East.
They also held their first competition, ‘Dance Chaos Season 1,’ on September 11, 2021 in Mokokchung, which featured competitions among members and other participants. The success of ‘Dance Chaos Season 2’ saw around 20 local participants and marked a significant milestone for the community. Unfortunately, plans for ‘Dance Chaos Season 3’ were disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, but they intend to reschedule it later this year.
Constraints and Hopes
Despite the growing interest in dance, Akum highlighted a major challenge: the lack of a dedicated practice space. Currently, members practice in their homes, and the community is seeking sponsors to secure a proper facility where dancers can practice, battle, and conduct workshops. The limited number of dance competitions further hinders opportunities for dancers to showcase their talents. Even during events, dance often takes a backseat to singing performances, with dancers receiving minimal recognition for their efforts.
The community, currently consisting of 24 members—primarily college students—struggles with financial constraints that prevent them from participating in competitions outside Mokokchung. They hope that a successful ‘Dance Chaos Season 3’ will provide the necessary funds to represent Mokokchung in broader competitions.
Akum expressed disappointment over the lack of sponsorship for dance compared to other sports and admitted that Mokokchung dancers face a shortage of opportunities rather than a lack of talent. He encouraged local support for dance events and called on sponsors to invest in the community. Akum also noted that Meyitemsu, the community’s President, was the first dancer from Nagaland to represent the state on India’s Best Dancer.
Call for Support
In closing, Akum urged the public to attend and support dance events to help build a strong foundation for future generations of dancers in Mokokchung. He expressed belief that with increased competition and support, Mokokchung dancers can gain the recognition they deserve and contribute significantly to the dance community.
Hello mokokchungtimes.com administrator, Thanks for the post!
Precisely what I was looking for, thanks for posting.