Poushali has choreographed a number of dance dramas, the chief among them being Krishnaleela, Rabindranath Tagores Kalmrigaya and Maharshi Bhagyachandra, a dance drama based on the life of the pioneer of Manipuri Dance. In 2003, she presented her first contemporary production Sama - The Harmony of Life, a fusion of Manipuri and Odissi that explores the rhythms of life. Poushali has also choreographed Agni - The Life Force, which delineates the many moods of fire, from the nurturing to the destructive. Recently she presented Icche - Shei to Bhangche, Shei to Gorche, a dance drama based on one of Rabindranath Tagores short stories. In 1996, Poushali opened her own institution, Nandanik Manipuri Dance Academy, where she teaches her students the various styles of Manipuri Dance - Rasleela, Cholom, Thang-ta and Mridang playing - according to the scientific system of training devised by Guru Bipin Singh. At present, Poushali is a teacher and at the same time a researcher and a performer. She has recently finished a two-year a research project on the similarities and differences between Hindustani, Carnatic and Manipuri Tala and Music with a Fellowship from the Government of India. |