From the North East
A. RAMALINGA SASTRY
|
Prithi Patel regaled with her lec-dems on Manipuri dance.
|
PHOTO: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
REGIONAL FLAVOUR Demonstration of Manipuri dance.
Thanks to the all out efforts of the coordinator of the local chapter of SPIC-MACAY, S. Vijayakumar , the auditoria, Saamudrika of the naval wing and Manasi of the NSTL witnessed two lecture-demonstrations on Manipuri dance, by the maestro of the tradition Prithi Patel.
Recipient of many a national and international award and founder director of the Manipuri School, Anjika at Kolkata, Prithi Patel explained the intricacies of the two essential forms of the tradition: the Thangta (male oriented martial art and its allied forms), and the Raasaleela (the feminine form) as the students demonstrated some of their intricate postures.
Describing the Manipuri tradition as essentially an aesthetic hue of the social fabric of the North East corner of the country, she traced the tradition to a period much earlier than the 33 A.D. She also explained how the present tradition is believed to be the seminal form of the celestial dance performed by `Laibangthous' (gods) and `Lianuras' (Goddesses) created by Lai Guru Sidaba (God Supreme) to level the surface of the earth and hence is essentially made up of the rigorous male and the graceful feminine forms of dance as well.
Prithi Patel.
Initiated into dance at the age of five in 1965, Prithi mastered especially the Raasaleela tradition under the tutelage of the great Guru late Bipin Singh who in turn kept the torch of the tradition brilliantly burning under the Guru-sishya parampara, she informed. It is only after delving deep into all intricacies involved in theory and practice of even the pre-Vaishnavite period traditions such as the rigorous martial and ritual forms Thangta and Lai Haroba under the expert guidance of gurus Ojha Babusingh, Padmasri N. Khelchandra Singh and Padmasri Maharajkumari Binodinidevi that she started doing choreographic studies at her Kolkata school, she informed, explaining how she could incorporate all forms of Manipuri in her oratorio like and historical dance ballads.
Not only that, she also made her disciples Icon-ha-sing and Rishikhanth Singh dance with swords and sticks individually and also together as if involved in a duel with each other demonstrating the Thangta form.
It attracted applause from the young pupils of the Navy and NSTL schools. Another disciple of hers, Karuna, similarly demonstrated both the ritualistic and the graceful Raasaleela parts.
Vocal support by Suraj Kumar and beat on the drum (Pung) by Ratan Singh were assets.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
