Essence of Manipur brought alive in the form of dance
DANCE: From a small state situated in the northern corner of India derives one of India’s richest Classical dance forms-Manipuri dance. Originated in the city of Manipur and with frenzy, soft yet vigorous gestures and accompanied with music from the Manipuri drum, also known as the “pung”, Esaraj (a string instrument), flute and Mandila, this form of dancing is found to be performing in temples, mandapa, and religious occasions. No festival occasion in the state is complete without this dance and songs. This form of Classical dance has two distinctive categories: the “Lai-Haroba”, a pre-Vaisnavite period of dance form, and the “Raas Leela” dance, based on Goudiya Vaisnavite religion, from the Vaisnavite period. The Sri Lankan public got a taste of this spectacular form of Indian Classical dance when a highly acclaimed Manipuri dancer, Sri Yaikhom Hemanta Kumar visited the island. During his stay, the artist took part in a lecture plus demonstration of Manipuri dance at the Indian Culture Centre and the University of Colombo. His arrival was a result of an invitation by Jayawanthi Paneebaratha, one of his students and a visiting lecturer at the University of Visual and performing Arts, who is a talented Manipuri dancer herself. “It was mostly due to my father’s influence that I turned my interest towards Manipuri Classical dance. He was very keen on me taking up the art. Therefore, I started to learn “pung” at the age of eight,” Hemanta Kumar was able to recall. Later the artist had joined J.N. Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal, and emerged with the gold medal in the Diploma Final Year in 1979. In 1981, Hemanta Kumar completed his Post Graduate Diploma in “Manipuri Raas”. In 1983, under the guidance of Th. Tarun Kumar Singh, he was able to complete “Gurukul”. He also completed his training in Creative Choreography under the guardianship of Padmashree Guru R.K. Singhajit Singh in 1987. Manipuri dancer
“They were my two Gurujees. Without them I would not be here practising this dance form,” Hemanta Kumar acknowledged with a deep sense of gratitude. The talented Manipuri dancer then went along to achieve his National Scholarship in 1981, the Manipur State Kala Academy Scholarship in 1985 and the National Junior Fellowship in 1998. He got the opportunity to take part in a number of dance festivals both in India as well as abroad under the Inter State Cultural Exchange Programme and as an Indian delegate. At present he is engaged as a Senior Lecturer in Manipuri Dance at the Sangit Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. It was during his years of teaching the art of colourful and rhythmic dance that he met Jayawanthi Paneebaratha. She had arrived at Shantiniketan with her father, Dr. S. Paneebaratha, a leading figure in Sri Lankan dancing. “The original Manipuri dance is very hard to perform unlike our Kandyan dance. One has to dance in a limited area and develop flexibility to perform this form of art. In my first years of Manipuri dancing, I nearly gave up because I found it hard to cope with the requirements of the art,” Jayawanthi admitted while explaining that one should have great patience and dedication to achieve the status of a Manipuri dancer. The Manipuri dance form includes several items. The Maibi Laiching Jagoi is performed at the Lai-Haroba Festival which is meant to propitiate the Gods and Goddesses by installing their roles in the various process of creating and preserving the world. The Maibis or the priestesses hold a prominent place during this performance. Devotional poem
Dasa Avatara includes Vakta Kavi Jayadeva’s devotional poem “Geeta Gobinda” which pays homage to the ten incarnations of Hari and the love story of Radha and Krishna. Draupati Swayambar is derived from the Sabha Parba of the “Mahabharata”. Hemanta Kumar said he had seen original Kandyan Classical dance in the past but that he fears for the future industry as he felt that the dance form had become westernized. “Within my short visit I had the opportunity to see Kandyan dance. I feel that the new generation has adapted changes which decrease the dance of the richness of its traditional roots. The Classical originality was lacking and though I hesitate to predict the future, I feel that our original art is in danger. We must control foreign influence and retain our own uniqueness,” he advised. Queried about his future plans in dancing, Hemanta Kumar said that he hopes to combine Indian Classical Manipuri dance with Sri Lankan Kandyan dance with collaboration of Channa and Upuli dancing group. “It will be something new to look forward to,” he smiled. “This is my first visit to Sri Lanka and I wish I had the opportunity to stay longer. On my next visit, I hope to show a more detailed account of the art of Manipuri dance.” |
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