MANIPURI DANCE
PRESENTED BY:-
Dance Department
Dr. Pooja Minhas
INTRODUCTION
Manipuri is the classical dance from the north East Indian state of Manipur. Its themes are devotional and are performed on religious occasions and in temples throughout the area. It is even often referred to as "sankirtan". The term Manipuri actually covers a number of dance forms from the region.
Manipuri dance is counted among major classical dance forms of India, especially noted for themes based on Vaishnavism and spectacular execution of ‘Ras Lila’, dance dramas based on love between Radha and Krishna. This dance form is named after the north-eastern state of Manipur, India from where it originated but it has its roots in ‘Natya Shastra’, the age-old Sanskrit Hindu text. A mix of Indian and southeast Asian culture is palpable in this form. The age-old dance tradition of the place is manifested from great Indian epics, ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’, where the native dance experts of Manipur are referred as ‘Gandharvas’. The Manipuris perform this religious art that aims at expressing spiritual values during Hindu festivals and other important cultural occasions like marriage.
5 POPULAR FORMS OF FOLK DANCE OF MANIPUR
1. RAAS LEELA
Raas Leela is an important part of traditional Manipuri culture and its uniqueness can be visibly seen in every aspect of the dance form, be it the costume or the moves. As per reports, Raas Leela was first treated as a dance form in 1779 by Ningthou Ching Thang Khambatta, also known as Rajarshi Bhagya Chandra, an 18th-century Meitei monarch. The dance depicts the connection of the individual soul with the spirit of the supreme being if true faith is developed. During the performance, eye-catching stylish movements and graceful gestures can be seen.
2. Pung Cholom or Drum Dance�
It is a famous dance style of Manipur which involves dancing and playing a drum simultaneously. Pung Cholom is also a combination of sound and movement, which demands acrobatic skills as it requires jumping and swirling.
3. Luivat Pheizak Dance�
Luivat Pheizak is one of most popular dances of the Tangkhul Naga community of Manipur. The dance, which depicts the different stages of cultivation and the simple lifestyle of the community, is performed during all traditional festivals in the state.
4. Shim Lam Dance�
Shim Lam is the traditional folk dance of Rongmei community. The performers adorned with bright colourful traditional attires spin in circles around each other while following the rhythm of the chanting singers in the background. The men strut to the music with a ritual knife in their hands while the female dancers follow the beat with their twirling hands in the air.
5. Thang ta Dance�
Known as the art of sword and spear, this Manipuri traditional dance features a wide range of martial arts weaponry in their performance. From metallic swords to wooden spears, the dancers employ them in a dizzying display of steel and sparks as they soar among each other.
HISTORY & EVOLUTION
Traditionally the Manipuri people consider themselves to be the ‘Gandharvas’ mentioned in the Vedic texts who were singers, dancers and musicians associated with devas or the deities. Southeast Asian temples of early medieval period bear sculptures of ‘Gandharvas’ as dancers. The region is also mentioned as ‘Gandharva-desa’ in ancient Manipuri texts. Usha, the exalted dawn goddess in the ‘Rig Veda’ is traditionally accredited of creating female dance art and tutoring girls in the art. Manipur finds place in age-old Sanskrit texts including the great Indian epic, the ‘Mahabharata’, which mentions that one of the five Pandava brothers, Arjun met Chitrangada and fell in love with her in this beautiful valley.
MUSIC
There is a very characteristic style of music for Manipuri dance. The music is generally similar to the larger body of north Indian (Hindustani) music.
Manipuri is unique among the classical Indian dances in that the instrumentation is a central part of the dance, rather than as a side accompaniment. Dances are very much based upon the cymbals (kartal or manjira) and the cylindrical drum known as Manipuri mridang or pung. Unlike other classical, dances where the instrument is merely used as an accompaniment, the pung and the kartal (manjira) are actually used in the dance. Other common instruments are the harmonium, pena, bansuri, shankh (conch), and esraj.
The songs used in Manipuri are usually from the great poets of old such as Jaydev, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Govindadas or Gyandas. Any of a number of languages may be used such as Sanskrit, Maithili, Brijbhasha or others.
FORMS
There are a number of forms in Manipuri. These are the Ras Lila, the Pung Cholom, Nupa Cholom, Thoibi and a host of others. We will now look at them in greater detail.
The Ras Lila is the most important dance form in the Manipuri style. The theme revolves around the love of Krishna and the milkmaids (gopinis). Although the themes are romantic, we must remember that the Bhakti school of Hinduism considers physical love as a metaphor for spiritual longing. There are five Ras Lilas that deal with the divine love of Radha and Krishna. These are: Maharas, Vasantras, Kunjaras, Nityaras and Divaras. Other Ras deal with various aspects of Krishna's life such as Karnabheda (ear piercing), marriage, etc. The performance of Ras Lila is generally performed in a special enclosure in front of the temple called a Nat Mandap.
The Pung Cholom is a very characteristic dance of Manipur. It is based upon the drum known as pung or Manipuri mridang. This dance may be performed by men or women and is usually a prelude to the Ras Lila. In this style, the dancers play the pung at the same time that they are dancing. Sometimes acrobatics are used for an exciting effect, all without breaking the flow of the music.
There are a number of other dance forms that make up the Manipuri tradition. The Nupa Pala is a variation of the Pung Cholom; this is also known as the Kartal Cholom and is the cymbal dance. There is the Khamba Thoibi; this portrays the love affair between a prince and princes of two warring clans. There is also the Maibi dance; this dance deals with the cosmogony of the Meittei people of Manipur.
FEATURES OF MANIPURI DANCE
CUSTOME (FEMALES)
Choli- A velvet blouse adorns the upper part of the body. The choli is embellished with zari, silk or gota embroidery. Gopis are dressed in red blouses while Radha stands out in green. For Pangals, the sleeves were extended to cover the arms
Kumin is an elaborately decorated barrel shaped long skirt stiffened at the bottom and close to the top. The decorations on the barrel include gold and silver embroidery, small pieces of mirrors, and border prints of lotus, Kwaklei orchid, and other items in nature.
Pasuan- The top border of the Kumin is adorned with a wavy and translucent fine muslin skirt tied in three places around the waist in Trikasta (with spiritual symbolism of the ancient Hindu Shastras) and opens up like a flower.
Khangoi- Small rectangular belt over the Pasuan.
Khaon- Rectangular embroidered piece with belt.
Thabret- A girdle around the waist.
CUSTOMES (MALES)
The male characters dress in a dhoti (also called dhotra or dhora) – a brilliantly colored broadcloth pleated, wrapped and tied at waist and allowing complete freedom of movement for the legs. Dancers wear a bright yellow-orange dhoti while playing Lord Krishna and a green/blue dhoti while playing Balaram. A crown decorated with peacock feather adorns the dancer's head, who portrays Lord Krishna. For Pangal dancers, the sleeves covered their arms.
The Cholam dancers wear white dhoti that covers the lower part of body from waist and a snow-white turban on the head. A shawl neatly folded adorns their left shoulders while the drum strap falls on their right shoulders. Pangal Cholam dancers wore only a kurta.
The costume tradition of the Manipuri dance celebrates its more ancient artistic local traditions, fused with the spiritual themes of prema bhava of Radha-Krishna found in the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana.
HEAD ACCESSORIES
STYLES
The traditional Manipuri Raas Lila is performed in three styles – Tal Rasak, Danda Rasak and Mandal Rasak. A Tal Rasak is accompanied with clapping, while Danda Rasak is performed by synchronous beat of two sticks but the dancers position it differently to create geometric patterns. The Mandal Rasak places the Gopis in a circle, the Krishna character in the center, and then they dance in this mandala.
The Manipuri dance comes in two categories - tandav (vigorous dance for the dancer who plays Krishna) and lasya (delicate dance for the dancers who play Radha and Gopis).
The Manipuri Raas Leela dance style embodies dreamy wavelike movements where one movement dissolves into another like the waves of an ocean. The dance features rounded soft movements of women, and occasional fast movements by male characters. Unlike the other classical dance forms of India, the Manipuri dance artists do not wear anklet bells and the footwork is subdued and gentle in the Manipuri style. The stage movements is part of a composite movement of the whole body.
IMPORTANCE OF MANIPURI DANCE
Manipuri dance is a religious art and its aim is the expression of spiritual values. Aspects of this performance art is celebrated during festivals and major rites of passage such as weddings among the Manipuri people, particularly in the e
The traditional style of this art form incorporates graceful, gentle and lyrical movements. The fundamental dance movement of Ras dances of Manipur is Chari or Chali.thnic majority of Meitei people.
There are essentially two divisions in the classical Manipuri dance:�