Khamba Thoibi dance is a ceremonial duet performance describing the story of a poor and brave lad of the Khuman Clan of Khamba. The boy fell in love with a girl, Thoibi. She was a princess of Moirang. Both keenly love each other. They succeeded in entering into a love affair. But for that, many heroic deeds on the part of Khamba were done and the troubles were taken by Thoibi. The King, the father of Thoibi did everything possible to defy her will. They performed a dance in front of the god Thangjing. (Some perhaps ill-conceived versions claim that after this they came to be known as the incarnation of Shiva and Parvati.)
Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male and female partners to show dedication to the sylvan deity known as Thangjing of Moirang. It is a form of the dance that depicts a performance by Khamba and Thoibi, the hero and heroine of the Moirang episode. This dance with the "Maibi" also termed as Priestess dance & the "Leima Jagoi" form the "Laiharaoba" dance, Popular as festival dance. Khamba Thoibi dance is widely performed in Manipur. It is a popular art form. Generally, it is performed either as part of Laihaoraoba or as an independent performance.
The "Laiharaoba" dance is treated as an excellent example of the modern Manipuri dance form. This dance is a part and parcel of Moirang Lai-Haraoba.This dance was performed before the Lord Thangjing, which was a celebrated deity of Moirang. The village is in the Southwest of Manipur & rich in its rich cultural traditions, for peace and prosperity. Manipuri dance covers a number of different dances from Manipur, a state in the northeast corner of India. The main dance types are the Laiharoaba, the Samkirtana, and the Rasalila. The classical style of dances is described as being the most graceful of all the classical Indian dances. Rabindranath Tagore used the style for his female characters in his famous dance dramas.
Viewer Linthoi Chanu informs us that "this dance is a part of the Lai Haraoba festival of Manipur and is not at all related to Hinduism, which was introduced in Manipur during the early 17th and 18th century.
Source: Wikipedia & http://folk-dances.tripod.com/id9.html
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