There are many different dance styles from Manipur, a state in northeastern India bordering with

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

(Burma), Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram. Manipuri dances encompasses both classical and folk dance forms. The

Raas Leela The rasalila (), also rendered the raslila or the ras dance, is part of the traditional story of Krishna described in Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana and literature such as the Gita Govinda, where he dances with Radha and the gop ...

is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. The folk dance forms are mainly attributed to ancient Meitei deities such as ''

Umang Lai Umang Lai are the group of sacred groves preserved for the local forest deities (with the same title), worshipped by the Meitei people, the Pangal people and Meitei Christians, the predominant ethnic groups, since ancient times in the Himalayan ...

'' and performed during

Lai Haraoba Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meiteilon. In this festival, the people worship ...

, and also the dances of the different tribal communities of Manipur. The Manipuri dance, in general, is a team performance, with its own unique costumes, aesthetics, conventions and repertoire. 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 ethnic majority of Meitei people. There are numerous dance forms of Manipur, comprising both classical and folk dances of the different communities residing in the state. Some of them are provided below.

Raas Leela

The Raas Leela is based on Hindu Vaishnavism themes and exquisite performances of the love-inspired dance drama of Radha-Krishna called Raas Leela. The roots of the ''Manipuri Raas Leela'' dance, as with all classical Indian dances, is the ancient

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Sanskrit text ''

Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...

'', with influences and the cultural fusion between various local folk dance forms. With evidence of Vishnu temples in the medieval eradance style.jpg, Raas Leela The Raas Leela is based on Hindu Vaishnavism themes and exquisite performances of the love-inspired dance drama of Radha-Krishna called Raas Leela. The roots of the ''Manipuri Raas Leela'' dance, as with all classical Indian dances, is the ancient

Sanskrit text ''

'', with influences and the cultural fusion between various local folk dance forms. With evidence of Vishnu temples in the medieval era this dance form has been passed down verbally from generation to generation as an oral tradition. This Manipuri dance drama is, for the most part, marked by a performance that is graceful, fluid, and sinuous with greater emphasis on hand and upper body gestures. It is accompanied with devotional music created with many instruments, with the beat set by

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

s (kartal or manjira) and double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri

mrdanga The khol is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music (''bhakti''). It is also known as a mridanga (<

sankirtan. The dance drama choreography shares the plays and stories of ''Vaishnavite Padavalis'', that also inspired the major Gaudiya Vaishnava-related performance arts found in Assam and West Bengal.

Thougal Jagoi

Thougal Jagoi is the folk dance of the Meitei community performed during the ''

'' festival before the deities. It is also known as ''Khamba Thoibi Jagoi''. A variant of Thougal Jagoi, performed only by women dancers, is known as ''Leima Jagoi''. The dance uses traditional musical instruments like pena and laangden (traditional drum). According to the legendary

Meitei language Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...

epic poem of ''

Khamba Thoibi ) , Image_Name = Khamba and Thoibi (The Capture of the Wild Bull).jpg , Image_Caption = Khamba and Thoibi (The Capture of the Wild Bull) , Aarne-Thompson Grouping = no , AKA = Khampa Thoipi , Mythology = Meitei mytholog ...

'' set in the ancient kingdom of Moirang, it is believed that ''Khamba'', the Khuman prince and ''Thoibi'', the Moirang princess performed this dance in front of

Eputhou Thangjing Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty of Ancient Moirang. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Lo ...

Yelhou Jagoi

''Yelhou Jagoi'' includes all the dances performed during the ''Lai Haraoba'' festival, mainly by the Maibis. Some of them are ''Laiching Jagoi'', ''Nungnao Jagoi'', ''Panthoibi Jagoi'', ''Longkhon Jagoi'', ''Paton'', ''Thang Thaba'' and ''Phibul Jagoi''. ''Thougal Jagoi'' also comes under ''Yelhou Jagoi''. Lai Haraoba-3 - 5571676820

Luivat Pheizak

''Luivat Pheizak'' is one of the most popular dances of the Tangkhul Naga community of Manipur. The dance depicts the different stages of cultivation and the simple lifestyle of the community. It is performed during all traditional festivals in the state.

Thabal Chongba

''Thabal Chongba'' (dancing by moonlight) is a Manipuri folk dance that is traditionally performed during the festival of

Yaoshang Yaosang is a festival celebrated in Manipur for five days in spring, starting on the full moon day of the month of Lamda (February–March). Yaosang is indigenous traditions of the Meitei people. It is considered the most important festival ...

in India. In the dance, participants join hands in a circle, hop on one foot and swing their free legs across, slowly advancing. Thabal Chongba Imphal image

Dances of Kom Tribe

Reviving Lam, Salin Lam (Celebration of harvesting festival), Buntak Lam, Dar Lam (Bell dance), Waikep Lam (War dance), etc...

References

Bibliography

* * ''Manipuri'' by R K Singhajit Singh, ''Dances of India'' series, Wisdom Tree, . * * * * * * * * * *
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* * * * * {{Dance in India Dance in India