This article is from the Seven Sister's Post (April 15, 2012)
-bhuban Re:Ri-phou-fi-phou losing rhythm Tagged with: Bihu dance Bihuwa Ri-phou-fi-phou DRAMATIC MOVES: Members of a Ri-phou-fi-phou husori group attract spectators with their unique dance steps. Kongkon K Bora: For the past few decades, a handful of Bihua (male dancers) of Rongdoi Da-gaon, located some 10km from Jorhat, have been striving to keep alive a unique form of husori. Until the late 1970s, this dance form used to be regularly practised by the young and old at different households of the village as well as in the neighboring areas. But the age-old custom known as Ri-phou-fi-phou is gradually losing its charm, partly due to complexities involved while performing it but mostly because the new generation is now inclined more towards modern forms of Bihu dance. However braving all odds, a group of men — aged between 40 and 50 — are trying their best to preserve it. They perform the unique dance using dhol, pepa and taal. It involves a variety of movements. They start in a half-seated position, swaying their hands from left to right and then the other way round, complying with the rhythm of music. Then they lie prostrate and move in circles in that position following the rhythm of music. “Ri-phou-fi-phou is a very difficult act. The performers must be fit, and at the same time, a lot of practice is required to achieve perfection,” says Prafulla Bora, a resident of the village and well-known proponent of Bihu and Sattriya culture. Bora, along with Jogen Kalita, Dimple Kalita, Lalit Saikia, Ritu Bora, Upen Saikia and a few others are attempting to revive the once popular husori form. “We are trying in whatever way we can to encourage the local youths to revive the dance form. It has never been performed on stage and only takes place in the locality and nearby areas,” adds Bora. Not much evidence is available about its origin, but Bora has seen the dance form since 1959. “Guneswar Kalita, one of the famed Bihu exponents of the time, popularised it in the late 1950s,” he further says. Similar practices are followed in certain places of Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts. “Some people from this village who later migrated to Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district popularised the dance form there. A similar form is now performed at Pani Gaon and Khura Amguri Gaon in Lakhimpur . However, there it is known as Neol Nach (mongoose dance),” he explains. In Sonitpur district, the dance form is known as Magur Nach (catfish dance). Adding to this, Jogen Kalita says “The villagers inherited Ri-phou-fi-phou from their forefathers. We learnt the art mostly by observing our seniors.” Anil Saikia, principal of Moran College and an expert in folk culture, says, “I took some initiative to revive the dance form, but very few are willing to continue with it. It is an exquisite dance form and has a lot of scope to take centre stage,” he adds. _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org