One of the major classical dance forms of India,
Manipuri dance evolved in the northeastern state of Manipur. Initially a
part of temple procedures, Manipuri dance still retains the religious
and social element in the performances. All types of Manipuri dances,
whether folk or classical or modern, are devotional in nature. The
people of Manipur mainly worship the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna and
even their dance portrays the mythological stories revolving around the
deities. One of the most popular dances of Manipur is the Ras Lila of
Radha and Krishna.
The presentation of the Indian Manipuri dance on stage started somewhere
around the 20th century only. The major credit for spreading the
popularity of Manipuri dance form goes to the acclaimed Bengali poet and
philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore. He witnessed the beautiful dance form
for the first time in the year 1920 and immediately fell in love with
it. Tagore even introduced the Manipuri dance in his university,
Santiniketan. Even today, traditional Manipuri dance is taught in
Santiniketan.
Steps
Delicate, expressive and elegant movements are the hallmark of Manipuri
dance form. The dancers take care to ensure that the movements are
rounded and there are no jerks and sharp edges. Quite unlike the other
classical Indian dance forms, Manipuri dance requires that the feet of
the dancer should never hit the ground too hard. This doesn't gel too
well with the otherwise delicate movements of the dancer.
Whenever the dancer puts his/her feet on the ground, the front part of
the feet has to touch the ground first. This is intended to break the
fall, so that the ankle and the knee joints jointly absorb the shock. In
the Manipuri dance, the feet of the dancer are never ever lifted or put
down at the precise rhythmic points of the music. Infact, a few seconds
are allowed to pass, in order to express the rhythmic points most
effectively. Manipuri dancers also do not wear ankle bells.
In the Manipuri dance, not only the body and feet movements, but also
the facial expressions are quite delicate and subtle. The entire
performance reflects utter devotion and elegance. The music required for
the dance is drawn from a number of instruments, namely a percussion
instrument called the Pung, small cymbals, a stringed instrument called
the Pena and wind instruments such as a Flute. Male artists act as
drummers and are trained to dance with the Pung while drumming.
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Dances of India |
