Commissioner Arts and Culture Manipur M Joy Singh has written to the managing director and chief executive officer of Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd, stating that Manipuri dance was highly misrepresented at the ongoing Super Dancer 4 of July 24 episode which was broadcasted on Sony channel.
The commissioner also requested Sony officials not to upload the dance on Youtube or any social media, to remove it if done before and that such misinterpretation is not repeated in the future.
The commissioner pointed out that the choreographer of the said dance had presented Manipuri Dance with her improvised choreography on the romantic theme of Dusyant and Shakuntala.
People in the state have strongly expressed their displeasure over the said choreography since the dancers had used costumes for Radha and Krishna that are normally used in the Manipuri Raas Leela.
Besides, the body movements of the dancers in the show were less of Manipuri dance and more of contemporary Bollywood movements, the letter stated.
The letter continued that the Manipuri Raas Leela is one of the purest forms of devotional dance and highly refined classical art form which has religious sentiments based on prema-bhakti, and it is practiced with highly ritualistic ceremony.
Each and every piece of costumes, each single movement and gesture has its own significance, the letter stated. It added that the dignified slow and continuous movement of the body shows its gracefulness in the ‘Lasya’ aspect and to some extent in the ‘Tandava’ aspect also with some leaps and jumps.
The letter added that it is also a generally accepted fact that dancing is an abstract art, and conformity with actual conditions and the insistence on symbolic representations are things which can become an impediment to aesthetic presentation if carried too far.
“Manipuri dance, by its very nature, is suggestive rather than blatantly expressive. It certainly makes less use of codified mudras and elaborate facial expressions and it is done with a purpose,” it added.
Realistic symbolisms are most unsuited to the dance style and if thrown in, detract from the basic flow and graceful quality of the Manipuri dance.
The letter further stated, “It is a subdued eloquence. Tremendous expressive potentials are presented with maximum restraint like an electrically charged undercurrent as it were.”
People of Manipur would be highly pleased if a subject expert is consulted by the choreographer and dancers before making such choreographic work in future so that there is proper representation of Manipuri dance and the people of Manipur truly feel proud of seeing its dance in the national channel, the letter added.
