Guru Bipin Singh Explained

Guru Bipin Singh (23 August 1918 – 9 January 2000) was a director, choreographer and teacher of Manipuri dance.

Birth Date:	23 August 1918
Birth Place:	Singhari Village Silchar, Assam, British India
Death Date:	9 January 2000 (Age 81)
Death Place:	Kolkata, India
Nationality:	Indian
Occupation:	Dancer
Style:	Manipuri dance
Awards:	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1966), Kalidas Samman

Career

The son of a traditional medical doctor and a singer,^[1] Singh began training in his childhood,^[2] studying singing and dancing before focusing on Manipuri dance, especially under Guru Amudon Sharma,^[3] with the support of Manipur's king.^[4] Although he earned a living as a film choreographer,^[5] he did not lose focus on his desire to expand knowledge of the traditional dance form. As part of that effort, he created the Govindji Nartanalaya dance school for women in Imphal and, in 1972, the Manipuri Nartanalaya dance school^[6] in Calcutta.

He choreographed many dance-dramas and solo dances and produced many students including Jhaveri Sisters (Darshana Jhaveri), Kalavati Devi, Binodini Devi, Guneswori Devi, Priti Patel, Sruti Bannerjee, Latasana Devi, Laily Basu, Indrani Devi, Manorama Devi, Poushali Chatterjee, Sohini Ray, Bimbavati Devi, Ranjini Basu.^[7]

Awards and honors

• Title of Hanjaba by the Maharaja of Manipur
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1966^[8]
• The Sharangadev fellowship by Sur Shringar Samsad
• Kalidas Samman by Madhya Pradesh Government
• Anamika Kala Sangam award, Kolkata
• Shiromoni Purashkar by Asian Paints, Kolkata

Further reading

• Book: Guru Bipin Singh . Jhaveri, Nayana . 1979 . Manipuri Nartanalaya . Calcutta.
• Book: In Appreciation of Guru Bipin Singh . Jhaveri, Susheel . 1989 . Manipuri Nartanalaya . Mumbai.
• Jhaveri Darshana (1991) "Guru Bipin Singh : achievements and accomplishments", Manipuri Nartanalaya, Bombay.
• Singh, Bipin (1982) "Manipuri Dance:Tradition and future" Journal of the Department of Dance. v 1.p 35-38.
• Singh, Bipin (1972 or later) "Manipuri Dance Numbers and Demonstration", Manipuri Nartanalaya.
• Singh, Bipin (1990) "Srikrishnarasa- sangita-sangraha:Manipura ke Maharaja Sri Gambhira Simha ke sasanakala" (1825-1834) mem sankalita. Hindi, Kalakatta, Manipuri Nartanalaya.
• Book: Pañcamasārasaṃhitā . Singh, Bipin . 1984 . Manipuri Nartanalaya . Calcutta.
• Singh, Bipin (1983-1990) "Vaishnavasangitasastra", Naraharichakrabartti, Bipin Singh, Gajanana Ranade, Mandala Vyasa, Varanasi, Chaikhamba Orientalia.

Notes and References

1. News: Guru Bipin Singh: Popularising Manipuri Dance. Bandopadhaya . Sharmila. 23 August 2007. The Daily Star.
2. Jhaveri, Darshana and Kalavati Devi (1993) Shastriya Manipuri Nartan, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata p. 128
3. Jhaveri, Darshana (1991)Guru Bipin Singh: Achievements and Accomplishments, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata p. 54
4. http://www.manipuridancevisions.com/html/readmore_guru.php Manipuri Dance Visions
5. Shantaram, V (1989) in Jhaveri, Susheel (ed) In Appreciation of Guru Bipin Singh, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Mumbai p.4
6. Jhaveri, Darshana and Kalavati devi (1993) Shastriya Manipuri Nartan, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata p. 128
7. Jhaveri, Darshana and Kalavati Devi (1993) Shastriya Manipuri Nartan, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata p. 119
8. http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm SNA: Awardeeslist::