Pena (Manipur) Dance

Understand

Where Pena (Manipur) Dance comes from

Pena is the single-stringed bowed instrument of the Meitei community, and the pena-dance is the folk-dance associated with the playing of the pena. The pena is one of the oldest Meitei musical instruments, with the pena-keepers (the pena-mangang) being the hereditary musicians of the Meitei tradition. The dance is performed at the village celebration and at the community festival of the Meitei people. The form is associated with the lyrical narration of the ancient Meitei ballads (the Khong Kangjei songs, the Moirang Kangleirol song) and is one of the defining features of the Meitei folk culture. The dance is also associated with the Lai Haraoba tradition (the pena being the principal instrument of the festival).

How it's practiced

Pena dance is performed by the pena-keepers (the pena-mangang) of the Meitei community at the village celebration and at the community festival. The pena-mangang plays the pena (the single-stringed bowed instrument) while singing the regional ballads and the Moirang and Kangleirol songs, with the women of the community performing the small dancing steps in time to the melody. The dance is gentle and lyrical, with the women performing the small swaying steps and the men accompanying on the pena. Costume is the everyday Meitei dress — the dhoti and the regional shawl for the men and the simple sari for the women. Performances are at the village courtyard and at the cultural programmes of the state.