Govt raps Sony TV over dance disgrace
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 26 2021: The state government has censured Sony TV for its gross misrepresentation of Manipuri dance form in its reality programme Super Dancer 4 episode aired on July 24 .

In a letter addressed to Sony TV MD & CEO, commissioner (Art & Culture) M Joy Singh drew attention of the entertainment company to the ongoing Super Dancer 4 in their channel and said that in the episode telecast on July 24, the choreographer had presented Manipuri Dance with her improvised choreography on the romantic theme of Dusyanta and Shakuntala.

The commissioner stated that people of Manipur have strongly expressed their displeasure to the said choreography.

The dancers had used costumes for Radha and Krishna that are normally used in the Manipuri Raas Leela, and the body movement of these dancers were less of Manipuri dance and more of contemporary Bollywood movements, it added.

The letter mentioned that 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 this is practiced with highly ritualistic ceremony.

Each and every piece of costumes, each single movement and gesture has its own significance.

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.

It is also a generally accepted fact that dancing is an abstract art, and conformity with actual conditions and 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 this is done with a purpose.

Realistic symbolisms are most unsuited to this style and if thrown in, detract from the basic flow and graceful quality of Manipuri dance.

It is a subdued eloquence.

Tremendous expressive potentials are presented with maximum restraint like an electrically charged undercurrent as it were, it pointed out.

The letter also asserted that Manipuri Dance was highly misrepresented in the show on July 24 episode, and it is expected that such misrepresentation will not be repeated in future.

Government 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.

Further, the channel has been advised not to upload this piece of dance on YouTube or any social media, and to remove it if done before.

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