Birthdays & Anniversaries
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| 23.8.1918-2000 |
A person of firm principles and lofty ideals,he pursued his goal, his search for beauty, dedicatedly, diligently, scientificallyandwith passion. If he took the dance out of Manipur, he never did take Manipur out of the dance. He transformed what was— and still is in that State— a vehicle for religious expression and devotion to god, into an art-form that was eventually accepted as classical. He did not renounce the Manipuri idiom; he enriched it and made it into a connoisseur's delight, not only in India but abroad as well. Crossing many a hurdle, he trained himself to be a dancer, musician, composer and choreographer who gave Manipuri dance a new face that reflected the scholarsofthe idiom. His legacy includes, as well and most importantly, the disciples he trained and the disciples of his disciples. Whether he so intended it or not, he founded and shaped a gharana, the Bipin Singh gharana, of Manipuri dance. beauty of art and not just the ecstasy of devotion. In a land known for the dichotomy between scholar and artist, he brought the twain together by pursuing scholarship and art in tandem. The result: the music and dance of Manipur he presented to the world through his own enchanting prism of beauty early gained the stamp of authority, as well as authenticity.