Woman Chau Performer

Chau is traditionally a male dance and men performed the roles of both male and female characters in the shows. An initiative of skill transmission to younger generations was started a few years back where both boys and girls were encouraged to join. Though social taboo still exists, some young women have come forward. One of them is Mousumi Choudhury, a Chau dancer from a village called Maldi in Purulia , West Bengal. Not only was she the first woman Chau Dancer in this predominantly male dominated heritage tradition, but in addition she won the 2019 Grand Prize in the Asia-Pacific Youth ICH Storytelling Contest for her photo story ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling: One Step at a Time’. She recieved the award from the Director of the Korean Cultural Centre, New Delhi .