MANIPURI STYLE OF DANCE
For the Manipuris, dancing for the sake of dancing and contract system was almost unknown. Dance performances were done before the deities of the people with great huility and submission for the pleasure of the deities.From the sacred texts, we can point here some characteristic features of Manipuri dancing which are as under -
1) The place where dance are held are sacred. It is considered to be a crime or sin to violate the rules. Anytime, anyplace is not good enough.
2) Dances are devotional or ritualistic rather than entertainment of the eyes. It is a Sadhan-Bhakti -kind of devotion to God for both the dancers and onlookers.
3) The dressing is so designed as to free them from any stimulus, excitement to the opposite sex. Dance is but the rhythmic expression of action and activities of life on the upper part of the body.
4) The artist never looks at any person or audience as a mark of concentration to the Lord surrendering the outward world and illusions of Maya and also giving up all lust, greed, anger, envy, hatred and pride of the dancers.
5) The steps of dancing are very much acute and complex and never show outward feeling of lust and amorous play.