Guru Bipin Singh

Guru Bipin Singh (23 August 1918 – 9 January 2000) was an Indian choreographer, teacher and scholar of Manipuri dance. He is regarded as one of the foremost exponents of the dance form and played a significant role in its preservation, systematisation and promotion during the twentieth century.

Born into a Bishnupriya Manipuri family in Singhari village in present-day Assam, Singh received training in music and dance from an early age and later studied under traditional Manipuri gurus, including Guru Amudon Sharma. Drawing upon diverse traditions of Manipuri dance, he developed a distinctive choreographic and pedagogical approach that contributed to the wider recognition of the art form in India and abroad.

Singh founded the Govindji Nartanalaya in Imphal and the Manipuri Nartanalaya in Kolkata, institutions that became important centres for the teaching and dissemination of Manipuri dance. Through his performances, research, choreography and teaching, he trained several generations of dancers and helped shape a modern tradition of Manipuri dance while maintaining its classical and devotional character.

For his contributions to Indian classical dance, Singh received numerous honours, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Kalidas Samman. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the modern history of Manipuri dance.