Manju Elangbam grew up among the disciples of his grandfather, the late Guru Elangbam Anganghal Singh, who performed and taught Sankirtana, a ritualistic performance art from Manipur. Manju considers his grandfather as his Adi Guru. A recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, Manju usually plays the role of Lord Krishna in Raas Leela performances.
Born into a culturally entrenched family, Manju initially was planning to study medicine. But life took a complete turn and led him to perform traditional Manipuri dance on the world stage. Currently an assistant professor of dance, he recently performed at Season 2 of World Dance Day & World Heritage Day Celebrations, presented by SPIC MACAY in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi. Manju talks about his journey with Indulge. Excerpts:
You were almost on your way to becoming a doctor. What changed?
After I completed school, I went to New Delhi to prepare for medical studies. It was there that I met the late professor K Jatindra Singh. Seeing my interest in dance, he introduced me to Visva Bharati, where he taught Manipuri dance. When he told me I could study dance like any other subject, I made up my mind that this was what I wanted to do. I shifted to Santiniketan and completed a PhD in Manipuri dance, began performing professionally, and eventually became an assistant professor of dance. Now I teach in Chandigarh.
My father was in the police force and initially didn’t approve of my career switch because during those times, parents didn’t want their children to pursue a financially unstable profession. But when I received the national scholarship for Manipuri dance from the Ministry of Culture, it convinced my father that I had chosen the right path.
Are more local youth and children taking up Manipuri dance?
When we were young, parents weren’t happy with children wanting to pursue dance, as there were no prospects. But now, Manipur University of Culture offers an array of subjects, widening the scope of professional pursuits in the arts. The real challenge now is to counter global influences, especially Korean music and dance. I hope more culturally rooted families teach our beautiful traditions to the younger generations.
Manipuri dance isn’t very popular in northern parts of India. What’s teaching like there?
In Delhi, there are still some Manipuri dance teachers and artistes; however, in Chandigarh, there is a lack of knowledge. The students are keen on Kathak instead. I’m trying to acquaint them with Manipuri style and culture through live performances for a better understanding of the art form. There are many Manipuri students here who train under me. They have also performed with me at the SPIC MACAY event in New Delhi.
What do you have in mind to do this year?
First, I intend to teach and perform side by side, because stage performance also plays a huge role in my life. I would also like to teach new choreographies to the students here for them to understand the aesthetics and beauty of Manipuri dance. During the summer vacation, I will return to Manipur to compose music with the musicians there.
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