ABSTRACT
Dance Like a Man is a dramatic exploration of the performative nature of gender in a patriarchal system. The title of the play itself clearly indicates that dance as ‘art’ is not a neutral domain where one may be able to break free of the constraints society constructs and imposes on the biological entities ‘man’ and ‘woman’; rather, dance encodes and is itself implicated in the division and reinforcement of gender roles as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ that is the foundation of patriarchy. Thus, the ironic reference to a manly/masculine way of dancing in the title is really a probing into the power structures that render the relationship between ‘dance’ and ‘man’ seemingly contradictory. Theatre in Manipur, as in many parts of the world, has a social commitment. Manipuris, in fact, are a cultural people. The cultural spirit has never been allowed to be blown out despite its geographical aloofness from the outside world.
