Guru Amubi Singh and Phanjoubam Iboton Singh were exponents of which dance form?

Explanation

Guru Amubi Singh and Phanjoubam Iboton Singh were renowned gurus and exponents of Manipuri dance, the classical dance of Manipur, in the 20th century. Guru Amubi Singh (1888-1961), a famous dancer of the Ras Leela and a master of the Manipuri dance tradition, received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and is remembered as one of the great gurus who preserved and taught the classical forms of Manipuri dance.

Manipuri dance is based on devotion to Krishna and on the older Lai Haraoba tradition of the Meitei people. Its most famous form is the Ras Leela, which depicts Radha, Krishna and the gopis and was given its present form by Maharaja Bhagyachandra in 1779. Manipuri dance has two aspects: the graceful Jagoi and the vigorous Cholom, seen in drum and cymbal dances such as the Pung Cholom. The dancers move softly, never striking the floor hard, and avoid eye contact with the audience. The female dancers wear the stiff, cylindrical skirt called the Potloi. In the 20th century, Rabindranath Tagore introduced Manipuri dance at Santiniketan, and gurus such as Amubi Singh, Bipin Singh and others taught it to students across India.

Other well-known exponents of Manipuri dance include Guru Bipin Singh (often called the father of modern Manipuri dance), the Jhaveri sisters, Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Charu Sija Mathur, Darshana Jhaveri, Bimbavati Devi and Elam Endira Devi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sattriya is the classical dance of Assam, linked with gurus such as Jatin Goswami.
• ✗Kathakali is the dance-drama of Kerala, linked with artists such as Kalamandalam Gopi.
• ✗Odissi is the classical dance of Odisha, linked with gurus such as Kelucharan Mohapatra.