Chali and bhangi
Manipuri movement is known for being soft and flowing. The dancer rarely makes sharp angles; hands and arms curve like waves.
Chali means the way of moving or the gait: how the feet glide, how the body shifts, how the dancer walks on stage. Bhangi means a pose or body attitude, a graceful curve of the body. Short groups of bhangis put together to the drum are often called bhangi pareng.
Cholom, sankirtan and talas
Cholom is a dance where the dancer plays an instrument while moving.
- Pung cholom: the dancer plays the pung, a two-faced drum, while leaping and spinning.
- Kartal cholom: the dancer plays kartal (cymbals) while dancing.
- Dhol cholom: a dance with the dhol drum, known for its energy.
Sankirtan is devotional group singing in Manipur, with the pung and kartal. It is at the heart of Manipuri Vaishnava worship and dance. The beat cycles are called talas; some well-known ones are rajmel, menkup and tanchap.
The five kinds of Raas
Raas (or Ras Leela) is the dance of Krishna and the gopis, led by Radha. Manipur has five forms:
- Maha Raas: the great Raas, in autumn.
- Vasanta Raas: the spring Raas.
- Kunja Raas: Raas in the groves.
- Nitya Raas: the everyday Raas.
- Diba Raas: the day-time Raas.
They differ in season, time and story, but all are danced as circles of gentle, round movement.
Costume: potloi, Krishna and tilak
The potloi is the special skirt of Radha and the gopis. It is stiff and shaped like a short, wide drum or cylinder, with shiny decoration. A thin see-through veil covers the head and face lightly, which adds softness.
Krishna's costume has a yellow dhoti, a crown with a peacock feather and a flute. The dancers also wear the Vaishnava tilak, a line of sandal paste on the forehead and nose, as a sign of devotion to Vishnu and Krishna.
Try it
Try it at home. Walk in a gentle circle with soft knees and curving arms (chali). Stop and hold a graceful pose (bhangi). Now sing a simple song and clap in a steady cycle with your friends sitting in a circle (sankirtan). Feel the difference from a fast, sharp, angled dance.
Key formulas and definitions
- Chali = gait or way of moving; bhangi = pose or body curve
- Cholom = dance with a drum or cymbals (pung, kartal, dhol)
- Sankirtan = devotional group singing with pung and kartal
- Talas: rajmel, menkup, tanchap
- Raas: Maha, Vasanta, Kunja, Nitya, Diba
Worked examples
1. A dancer plays the pung drum while dancing. Which cholom is it?
Pung cholom.
2. Which costume piece is drum-shaped and worn by Radha and the gopis?
The potloi.
3. Which Raas is danced by day?
Diba Raas.
4. What is the difference between chali and bhangi?
Chali is the way of moving (the gait). Bhangi is a pose or body attitude.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up cholom (a dance with an instrument) with the instrument itself. The pung is the drum, the kartal the cymbals.
- Thinking Manipuri dance is fast and sharp like a spin. It is soft and round.
- Calling the potloi a long flowing skirt. It is stiff and drum-shaped.
- Forgetting Diba Raas is the day-time one; the other four are linked to season or nature.