ABSTRACT
Sharada Sugirtharajah writes that Hinduism or the idea of being Hindu “is not confined to texts or to a prescribed set of beliefs.” In Hinduism, with a number of gods and goddesses, the relationship between dance and religion is intrinsic. The traditional Indian dance that developed over the centuries was aided by both Hindu religious and local cultural practices. As Manipuri dance is an amalgamation of various other forms, its growth under the rubric of “Indian Classical Dance” was also seen as a political stance of the Indian state at integrating Manipur and assimilating Manipuri dance into the dominant culture of India. Recognizing the importance of marketing and collaboration with a western impresario, they agreed to create experimental hybridization of their productions to the extent where a positive cross-cultural exchange could take place without undermining their own talent or profaning the nature of Hindu dance.
