Performance of Manipuri Dances in Kyoto (07 October 2019)...
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Performance of Manipuri Dances in Kyoto (07 October 2019) and Higashiosaka City (10 October 2019).
Performance of Manipuri Dances in Kyoto (07 October 2019) and Higashiosaka City (10 October 2019).
Cultural Event Announcements
Greetings!
The Consulate General of India, Osaka-Kobe, would like to invite you and spouse/ partner (and additional members) to witness a performance of Manipuri dances. The Date and Venue details of the programme are as follows:
Event : Manipuri Dance Performance in Kyoto
Date : Monday, 07 October 2019 at 19:00 – 20:30 hrs.
Venue: Ryukoku University Avanti Kyoto Hall
Event : Manipuri Dance Performance in Higashiosaka City
Date : Thursday, 10 October 2019 at 19:00 – 20:30 hrs.
Venue: Higashiosaka Cultural Creation Hall
A brief description of the Manipuri Dances and Flyers of the Programme are attached.
Manipuri Dances
Evolving in the northeast region of India, the Manipuri dances have a subtle and unique appeal among the performing arts of India. Manipur state’s capital—Imphal, which the Japanese are aware has had an important place in history. Manipuri dances have managed to retain their originality without extraneous influence and reflect ancient traditions.
In brief, the Jagoi Manipuri dance is a classical dance form that is marked by exquisite costumes as well as delicate, lyrical and graceful movements. Harking back to the ancient times, is the Lai Haroba dance that honors ancestors and deities. While the Dhol Dholak Cholom is a celebratory dance that captures the festive mood of the Spring season in all its energy and vibrancy, the Thang Tais a martial dance which evolved with a societal need for strength in youth to face challenges.
Ras Lila
Ras Lila is a dance-drama performed in the pure classical style of Jagoi Manipuri dance that symbolises a deeper human connect with the divine. Inspired by themes of Radha and Krishna, the dance drama features rounded soft movements of the performing women, and occasional fast movements by male characters. Unlike other classical Indian dances, the Manipuri dance artists do not wear anklet bells and the footwork is subdued and gentle. The stage movements are fluid and characterized by a composite movement of the whole body. The women performers are dressed like Manipuri brides, in their ‘Kumil’. A Kumil is an elaborately decorated barrel shaped long skirt stiffened at the bottom and close at the top. The upper body is dressed in a velvet blouse, and the head covered in a white translucent veil, to symbolically indicate elusive shyness.
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei People in honor of their ancestors and deities. Like the Japanese, paying respect to ancestors is an important part of Indian culture, and indeed a Manipuri tradition. As in the Obon period, the supernaturals are believed to visit the Earth in summer and the Lai Haraoba dances are meant to pay respect and welcome their arrival every summer. This ritualistic celebratory festival has been observed since the ancient times and it reflects the culture of entire Manipur— both hills and plains.
Dhol Dholak Cholom
Is a celebration heralding the Spring season in all its colors and vibrancy. The mood is encapsulated in the tempo of the drums and dance that changes cadence, beginning softly and ending in a roaring climax. The men performing Dhol Cholom perform acrobatics and dance with a large Dhol. The Dhol is a large drum that has great significance in most dances of the Manipur state. The participants are clad in colorful costumes for the performance.
Thang Ta
Thang Ta is a popular, yet ancient Manipuri Martial Art that envisioned a deep world view ensconced within the culture of small ethnic communities. Much like the calligraphy and art associated with the Samurai, this art form connects the universe with the body. The body becomes a space where tensions and dynamics of creation are worked out in a system of movements reflecting the essence of these creative forces. The whole world and the dynamic cosmos is recreated in the body of man when its warlike engagements are over.