The Forward Artistes' Centre En-Camped (FACE) is one of the leading Cultural Organisation which stands for preservation and promotion of Cultural heritage of Manipur. Established in 1986, FACE tries top reserve the pristine glory of traditional Culture and to emerge a new creative movement in which Culture flows in new and vital forms.
Since its inception, FACE has so for produced 12 Ballets/Dance Dramas with the Financial assistance of various funding agencies, organized 10 Dance Festivals, 7 Cultural workshops, 4 Cultural Camps, Two Seminar, Produces 4 Documentary Video Films for teaching aid and 2 Audio Cassettes for teaching aid.  It has conducted many Inter State Cultural Exchange Programmes under the aegis of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, North East Zonal Cultural Centre, Dimapur, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, New Delhi, Government of India, Department of Culture, Government of India and Ministry of Home Affairs, North Eastern Council, Shillong etc. It also took part in many mass awareness campaigns through Culture, organized by a number of non government organizations such as Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha (BJVJ), Manipur Association for Science and Society (MASS), Manipur Cultural Integration Conference (MCIC) and Science Teachers Forum (STF), Manipur. FACE has so far produced about 16 Manipuri classical soloists of regional and national standard and a number of artistes. It has 25 regular artistes at present.
Nong-in is the latest presentation from FACE. The ballet is scripted by Dr Kh Shamungou Singh and designed, directed and choreographed by RK Khogendra Singh.
A Note from the Director/Choreographer
Human being, on this Earth, cannot live steadfastly and in peace and harmony without depending on the other creations of the Creator. Today a big question arises before this world, "It is our duty to conserve the environment to provide clean air and water and to preserve and protect the rare flora and fauna"! However, man relentlessly continues to kill these rare birds and animals and many plants are being destroyed erasing their image from the very surface of this Earth.
The eternal relationship between the Manipuri culture and the floras and faunas as envisaged in 'Nong-in' can never be altered. An attempt is being made in this ballet, as an experiment, to present the present day scenario of the deteriorating environmental conditions of Manipur.
Directors sincere attempt is also to present a handful of events picked out from the rich cultural heritage which we inherit from our ancestors. If a community is to know its identity, i.e. its culture, one needs to know its natural environment first. This ballet is a composition of the traditional dance movements, Nata sankritana, martial arts, rhythm and music, all in its natural form. The success or otherwise of this new ballet is left in the hands of the learned Gurus and experts of this region and the august audience.
Act I
The indigenous bird of the state the Nong-in which the present genre hardly perceives and reckons is slowly vanishing away from the earth. The way how the bird is subjected to a pathetic situation leading to the extinction of the species due to the impact of the environmental changes on one hand and the blissful life of the bird under the ideal and harmonies environs of yore on other - all these episodes are summarized and depicted in this presentation.
Act II
The harsh and tyrannical agony of the night passes away along with the fading of the stormy night, the birds fly freely in the atmosphere rejoicing the ever refreshing rays of the sun at dawn. Somebody approaches from a distance with loud and forceful steps. The hunters equipped with bows, arrows and clubs in hand have approached to catch them all. The poor Nong-in mother came in search for her daughter. On seeing her daughter trapped in the Hunter's net with soul departed from the body, the wretched mother lamented
My dear, daughter, my precious!
What should I be, departed from you
We two would be set apart
Far from one another
Since this day, Dear! Since this moment, My precious!
Act III
The Nong-in mother on getting a newborn kid once again rejoices, teaches the kid, how to fly, tells the ways of life and go together to prey. The Nong-in parents enjoy life gazing the frolic of the kid at this hour of dusk with the moon shining solemnly while the sun receding steadily and slowly -- what will happen now -- what looms the next moment. The male Nong-in was seized by the hunters. The mother and daughter were thus separated from him for ever. With a heavy heart, female bird has to flee for a new asylum with her little kid.
Act IV
She took new asylum. On seeing the fellow birds rejoicing with their mates, she recollects the moments of the past, one and all - tells her daughter - the sorrow moments of distant past. She recollects and yearns for her daughter
My dear daughter, my precious
The Almighty has destined
A life so forlorn.
The right to exist,
Besieged from me
From you too
This our destiny!
Act V
What more to come! What is destined? The female Nong-in who came out of the clutch of the hunters, fell a victim to the widespread fire in the forest. Putting every effort to save her little one from the agony of fire, fell herself in the ghastly clutch of fire. Yelled with the last breathe
Have pity one us
With your noble heart!
Save me
Save my child
We crave for a life
A life like yours
Save me
Save my child.
Lo! what is destined! The Nong-in faces disaster after disaster. You have to face the agony of life so doomed. Yet you have shown us a life indifferent. That is destined!
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