THE OBVIOUS answer is that it has already happened. The art form is known at least superficially all over India since the days of that country's independence from Great Britain. The late Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, learned Manipuri dance at Shantiniketan when she was a voung girl.

She retained a love of the dance form all her life, and frequently took a cultural delegation of Manipuri dancers with her when she made state visits to foreign countries.

Thus, foreigners had an opportunity to see Manipuri dance, and the dancers enjoyed their visits to the world outside. Gradually, Manipur is opening its doors to tourist travel, and at least two large teams of Manipuri dancers perform on stages all over India and on international tours.

MANY of the dancers who present Manipuri dance outside their own state, however, feel dissatisfied with their methods of presentation.

In addition, when they return to Manipur, they frequently come under fire from teachers, scholars and theoreticians on the grounds that they have deviated from a high standard or presented less-than-authentic versions of Manipuri dance.

There are indeed many problems inherent in presenting Manipuri dance in a touring situation. They can be stated in simple terms as follows:

(1) Manipuri dance is performed in large groups, making travel costly.
(2) In its original settings, Manipuri dance is performed in the round, so the original arrangements are unsuited to proscenium staging.
(3) Inside Manipur, dance is performed by amateurs, making it difficult to assemble touring companies.
(4) The original compositions are too lengthy for a modern 90-minute concert program.

THESE ARE some of the challenges facing Manipuri dancers and their presenters at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Many creative approaches have been tried, some are acknowledged successful, some subjects of dispute. One of the solutions to the first problem is being sponsored by the government of Manipur.

An annual festival of solo dances in Manipuri style has been organized for several years running, and many lovely dances have either been created or excerpted from the Ras Leelas. But a single dancer is hard put to perform a full-length program of Manipuri dance, the way a Kathak, Bharata-Natyam, or Odissi dancer does.

The reason is that there is no single costume that can be used for the varied items of the repertoire. Each item in a solo recital requires a different dress, for example; Maibi dance, an all-white ensemble; Leima Jagoi, pink-and black striped sarong and golden crown; Radha Nartan, elaborate Ras Leela costume which takes fifteen minutes to put on; and Krishna Abishar, the dhoti, a wrapped trouser-like garment and tall crown topped with peacock feathers.

In practice, two dancers are required to perform a seamless program of solo dances.

AS NOTED earlier, it may not be desirable to force Manipuri dance into the mold of other Indian dance styles which are presented in solo recital form. The beauty of Manipuri style continues to lie in its group dances, making the comparison with Western ballet a valid one.

With a group of five women and four men, one can produce a very authentic program of traditional dances of Manipur, without much change in the original choreography. Even counting on three musicians, a party of twelve is reasonable for touring purposes.

ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE is to train outsiders to perform Manipuri dance. This has been accomplished with some success, and the incidence of non-Manipuris learning Manipuri dance is increasing slowly. There is no objection from the Manipuri people to this idea.

Foreigners have been allowed, nay, welcomed to participate in rituals such as the Lai Haraoba. In fact, interest from foreigners has sometimes led the Meitei people to look with a fresh eye at their own traditions, and gain renewed respect for their indigenous arts.

Since this seems to be a prevailing attitude, it would behoove the government of Manipur, and the central government of India, to encourage artistic exchange. In the past it has been difficult to get permission to visit Manipur.

On the one hand, one is glad that the government is not admitting too many foreigners into the state, because they might disrupt the delicate balance of the old traditional way of life there.

On the other hand, that way of life, and its accompanying art forms, are in danger of disappearing in the face of economic problems, a flood of refugees from neighboring Burma, cross-border operations of extremist political cadres, smugglers, and perhaps most damaging of all, the advent of television transmission in Manipur in 1984.

One hopes that the folkways can be documented and recorded before they deteriorate. Such documentation, when published abroad, would generate increased interest among foreigners wishing to see live, authentic performances of Manipuri dance, thereby creating a market for dancers, musicians, and costumiers who might otherwise turn to other fields for their livelihood.

IN THIS AGE of the global village, the overgrown village of Imphal, capitol of Manipur, is still a secret destination for a small percentage of dancers and dance researchers.

We would love to keep it so, but beauty and history have an attraction all their own, which cannot be hidden for long, and indeed should not be.

Much remains to be discovered which is still hiding behind the enigmatic half-smile of the Manipuri dancer. Concluded