| Bimbavati danced like a Trojan...her
movements bore the evidence of one born to the dance family - The Hindu,
Leela Venkatraman, dance critic and scholar.
The Manipuri Nartanalaya, a premier
institute for dance in Kolkata, India, presents the renowned style of Kalavati
Devi and late Guru Bipin Singh through the performances of their daughter
Bimbavati Devi. She was initiated into the world of dance and music at
a very tender age. Besides dancing, she has also undergone training in
pung (Manipuri mridang) and recently initiated into Thang
Ta (Manipuri martial art). Bimba, an empanelled artiste of Indian Council
for Cultural Relations (ICCR), has performed in various prestigious dance
programs and festivals in India and abroad. Awards galore have come her
way, including Shringar Mani conferred by Sur Singar Samsad (Mumbai),
Nandita Kripalini Award from West Bengal State Academy of Dance, Drama,
Music, and Visual Arts, and recently, the Samskriti Award (2004). She is
also the recipient of Junior and Senior National Scholarship in Manipuri
Dance from the Department of Culture, India.
Below are the excerpts of a recent interview
with Bimbavati Devi during her visit to Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
Was the advance to Manipuri dance
a natural step?
My parents Guru Bipin Singh and
Kalavati Devi are Manipuri dance exponents and you can well imagine what
the atmosphere of our house would be like. I don't really remember when
I started dancing and when my formal training in dance began. It came very
naturally to me. I remember my mother asking our percussionist to play
the pung (the traditional Manipuri drum) properly so I can concentrate
on my studies.
How is Manipuri dance different
from other Indian dance styles?
All Indian dance styles are beautiful
and they have their special characteristics. Manipuri is very free flowing
and the movements are lyrical like waves. One of the unique features of
this dance form is that the lasya and tandava aspects are
different from each other. Even the costumes are different. Lasya
is soft and has subtle movements, while tandava is vigorous. The
torso movement of our dance form is yet another unique feature. It is however
not similar to the torso movement of Mohiniattam or Odissi.
Many artists have stepped into
the realm of contemporary dance through exploration of one or many dance
styles or martial arts such as Kalaraipayattu of Kerala and Chhau of eastern
India etc. Are you into contemporary work?
I have just started experimenting
with Manipuri dance and Thang Ta. My very recent production was
Anubhavaamah which is based on the Shara Ripu or the 6 cardinal
vices (kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya) of men.
Have well have you trained in
Thang Ta and how have you tried to incorporate this into Manipuri
dance?
I have only recently started my
training. Instead of the actual fighting techniques, I am more interested
in its movements, which are graceful but very bold at the same time. When
we do traditional dance items, we don't really use the movements of Thang
ta - only in choreographic works.
Your major performances include
Khajuraho Festival, Konark Festival, Uday Shankar Festival, Nishagandhi
Festival, Soorya Festival etc. Were these presentations pure Manipuri or
contemporary works?
Both.
What was the response of the audience,
both in India and abroad to these performances?
Till date they have liked it. Anubhavaamah
was widely acclaimed by the press and public. In a year it was staged 7
times.
You are one of the upcoming Manipuri
dancers and choreographers today. Are you satisfied with the stand of Manipuri
dance in India and abroad today and what changes do you foresee in the
future in Manipuri dance?
The popular notion is 'Manipuri
dance is very monotonous, slow, the movements are repetitive...there isn't
much variation, it can only be used to compose Tagore's songs...they only
wear the big round costume and move like a doll etc etc'. It’s really
painful when we hear these things. For the past 30 years, our institution
Manipuri Nartanalaya has been making sincere efforts to break this notion.
We have tried to infuse verve and color into the dance form by being inspired
by several aspects of Manipuri dance, for example- the movements of pung
cholom and kartal cholom. Their movements are very stylized
and dignified. We want to make people aware of the richness of Manipuri
dance. Maybe that is one reason why our gharana is quite different
form the other gharanas. I am definitely not saying that other gharanas
are not up to the mark. Our styles are different. I want people
to know that Manipuri dance is not just a dance wearing the big round costume...we
wear that only in traditional ras leelas. But ras
leelas are popular because they are so lively and the dress is so colorful
and bright. We are trying to propagate and perpetuate this dance form far
and wide.
You are currently performing in
US. Can you brief me on the dance production for this tour?
In US, I have been invited to perform
at the Festival of India organized by the Asian Dance and Music Program
of the University of Massachusetts. I will do only traditional Manipuri
dance items here. I will be accompanied by Sucharita Sharma and Jagannath
Singh in 2 or 3 items. Besides this, I have lecture demonstrations and
workshops at several places. I presented a small choreographic work of
mine named Dhriti in a show organized by Kala Anjali India Culture
Center and ASI, North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND.
What is your most cherished achievement?
The day is yet to come. My most
cherished achievement would be when Manipuri dance will be in a much better
position than today. I definitely cannot do this alone. All the Manipuri
dancers have to realize this and make a sincere effort.
Advice to budding artists and
dance enthusiasts?
I am also an upcoming artiste. One
thing I can say is that if you try to learn many dance forms then you will
not be able to do justice to any of them. Concentrate on one and try to
go deep into it. The responsibility to keep our country's heritage and
tradition alive lies in our hands.
Contact:
Bimbavati Devi,
15A, Bipin Pal Road
Near Deshapriya Park
Kolkata 700026, India
Ph: (91-33) - 24641922
Mobile: 98300-29586
Fax: (91-33) - 24643267
Email: bimbavati@yahoo.com
Febina Mathew is a Bharatanatyam
dancer and writer based in Fargo, North Dakota. She is also a volunteer
for RASIKA.
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