An artist couple running a cultural institute
- Atinga -

James Khangenbam *

A Cultural Institute has been grooming children and youths by conducting performing art classes during weekends. Founded couple of years back by a couple Dr Nganbi Chanu who holds a Phd Degree in Manipuri Dance and Renown Manipuri Singer K Bobin, Atinga has successfully groomed many of its students.

Since 2017, cultural troop from the institute have been performing at the annual cultural and ritual programs organized by Kangla Fort Board including Pakhangba Cheng Hongba, Emoinu Cheng Hongba. In 2022, its cultural troop comprising of 20 artists performed the Pung Cholom feat at Sangai Festival.

The Institute has also given tribute to an acclaimed Manipuri dancer who passed away by reenacting a dance titled ‘Katchong Jagoi' composed by the Guru which remains undocumented. The initiative was funded by State Kala Academy. Earlier Art and Culture Department has also funded the Institute for conducting workshop cum demonstration program on Tangkhul Nurabi Episode of Lai Haraoba.

Very recently the foundation organized India International Dance Festival (IIDF) in collaboration with Samskritiki Odisha at the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy, Manipur. In an exclusive interview Dr Nganbi Chanu informed that IIDF which is spread across multiple cities in India now came into being to give platform to talented dancers in the country and aboard.

Her organization Atinga hosts the event for Manipur likewise for other States a private organization hosts the dance festival. The festival usually is run by registration fee from the dancer. Earlier Atinga had hosted the dance festival in 2020 and in 2023 registration fee was exempted from the participants to commemorate the 8th Foundation day of Atinga.

In the just concluded edition two Bharat Natyam Dancer from Nagpur, a Kathak dancer and a Bharat Natyam Dancer from Pune participated in the classical dance section. The festival was organized under the banner of celebrating dance sans divisions’ tribal, folk, classical, contemporary.

A dancer from Delhi and Odisha also participated in the festival. All the dancers from other States who participated in the festival had to bear their own travel expenditures. From the host state, Manipuri and Tribal Folk dance, Manipuri Classical solo performances were presented by the participants.

IIDF is a prestigious privately organized dance festival of India founded in the year 2015 by a dance critic Shyamhari Chakra. Dr Nganbi Chanu who also teaches at the Manipur University of Culture came to know about IIDF when she participated in one of the festival few years back.

She voluntarily took up the initiative of hosting the festival by her institute Atinga when she was approached for the same. In North East India another chapter is being organized at Guwahati. It actually is a network of artists trying to promote talented dancers in India by giving platform and recognition.

Dr Nganbi also informed that there are many talented dancers in Manipur and rest of India but very few dance festival sponsored by the Government. In Manipur, Bheigachandra Dance Festival organized by the Manipur government is coming back after a gap of many years.