A fest that celebrates the Indian dance forms
The grace of Indian classical dance forms is unmatched. If you’re a fan of the beautiful movements of Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Chhau and more, you can catch many such performances at a three-day festival in town, concluding today. There will be contemporary styles, too.
Madhumita Raut, director the Mamta Raut Dance Festival, says, “The festival has showcased one of the finest artists from the field of Odissi, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, Chhau, Kathak and contemporary dance. The celebration is a unique way to pass on the baton to the next generation, reflecting our age old tradition of Guru-Shishya Parampara, as the dancers will be paying an ode to their gurus.”
The disciples were very selective before choosing the music for their performance. Sanskriti choudhary, an 18-year-old Delhi University student, shares, “My guru is Yamini Krishnamurthy and I will perform Bharatanatyam on Manikyaveena, which is a devi stuti. The raga for Manikyaveena is malika and taal is adi. It talks about the divinity as mother, and nothing can be a better tribute to my guru maa than this performance.”
Another Delhi University student, Naimisha Pradhan says, “I will be performing Odissi and its my guru’s composition, Surya Upasna. The Upasna is a prayer to the Sun God and it was composed in the memory of my guru’s mother, so it’s close to her heart. Performing on it will be a befitting tribute to my guru.”
Ashwarya Samkaria, disciple of Madhumita Raut, will stage an Odissi performance. “This opportunity is an outcome of our continuous riyaaz and love for dance. Preparing for the festival has been a beautiful process,” says Samkaria.