Imphal, Mar 14 Manipuri dance that embodies delicate and graceful movements is the forte of Tamanna Rahman, an internationally-acclaimed dancer from Bangladesh, who is training youngsters in her country in the dance form.
Director of Nrityam Nrityasheelon Kendro in Dhaka, 44-year-old Rahman said 50 young Bangladeshi students were learning classical Manipuri dance and other art forms of the northeastern state.
"Though I am a Muslim woman from Bangladesh, the rich culture and tradition of Manipur is in my heart and I feel that Manipur is close to my own country," Rahman, who served as guest lecturer at the Theatre department of Dhaka University, said.
She was mesmerised by the performance of Manipuri dancer Shantibala Sinha in Dhaka in the early eighties. "Driven by the deep passion of this dance form, I began learning Manipuri dance from Guru Shantibala in 1982," she said.