Shad Suk Mynsiem, the Dance of the joyful heart, is one of the important dance festivals of the Khasis in
Meghalaya. It is an annual thanksgiving dance held in
Shillong in April, lasting for three days, after the harvest season and before the sowing season.
Shad Suk Mynsiem dance is performed by maidens dressed in traditional fineries and by men attired in colorful costumes. The dance is accompanied by the musical instruments such as drums, Tangmuri (pipes) and flutes.
The dance is ritualistic and symbolic representation of the timeless fertility cult. The women are considered as the containers of seeds and bearers of fruit and the men as cultivators, who provide the seeds and protect and nurse them till the crop is harvested.
