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 A smorgasbord of Eastern classical dance forms - Yasmin Rahman e-mail: yasmn.rhmn@gmail.com August 3, 2024 The propitious occasion of Guru Purnima in July saw the introduction of a landmark classical dance festival to the thriving cultural scene of Noida. The 1st Satkara Nrityotsav– An Eastern Indian Classical Odyssey’ was hosted by Satkara Foundation and made possible by the endorsement of Oil India Limited. On a balmy evening in July, the vibrant Sabari Cultural Centre at the Ayappa Temple, Noida, was packed to the rafters with connoisseurs of classical dance, primarily the resident Assamese community of Noida and Delhi NCR. They were treated to a classical dance extravaganza at par with the most exceptional musical and cultural events on offer in the National Capital Region. Satkara was set up in 2013 by dancer Meenakshi Medhi, who is a celebrated exponent of Sattriya herself, with the express objective to promote Assam’s classical dance form Sattriya and its concomitant artistic and cultural expressions. To date, Satkara has held several workshops to promote this 550-year-old dance form across India. It also runs a dance school ‘Sattriya Nrityasala’ in Delhi NCR which has students across India and abroad like Netherlands, USA, Chile, Canada, Kuwait, Dubai and New Zealand. The 1st Satkara Nrityotsav was a celebration of ‘An Eastern Indian Classical Odyssey’ where all the classical dance forms from the East—Manipuri, Odissi and Sattriya—could be witnessed together under one roof. Chief Guest Pankaj Kumar Goswami, Director of Operations, Oil India Limited, and several other dignitaries graced the occasion, including Bharatanatyam exponent Marie Elangovan, and the venerated artist Jiten Hazarika. The budding students of Sattriya Nrityasala—Reeyanshi Paul, Aaranya Baniah, Aaditri Gogoi, Samaira Arora and Kaira Arora—depicted the foundational Guru-Shishya Parampara of Indian classical dance while the customary lamp was being lit. The opening performance was a recital by the Odissi exponent Dipannita Das, a disciple of Guru Gorima Hazarika. She performed the Mangalacharan through a Ganesh Vandana, entreating the blessings of Lord Jagannath. Several students of Satkara’s Sattriya Nrityasala displayed their dexterity through mesmerising performances. This included Shreya Sinha, who performed Goxai Prabexor Naas, part of Ankiya Bhaona composed by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. Pragati Kalita and Aaditri Kumar presented the Jhumura Raamdaani, the introductory dance module of Jhumura Naas composed by Mahapurush Madhavadev, the chief disciple of Srimanta Sankardev.  Dipannita Das  Rabindra Yengkhom Next, artiste-par-excellence and Manipuri dance proponent Rabindra Yengkhom from Imphal mesmerized the audience with two exquisite pieces. A disciple of Kumari Thokchom Ibemubi Devi and Dr Sinam Basu Singh, Rabindra Yengkhom performed Shiva Panchakshara, a Tandav style dance composition, and the Dasavatara, a portrayal of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Celebrated Sattriya dancer Shrutimala Medhi from Assam, a disciple of Guru Anita Sharma, performed the Nandi Shloka, a form of prayer offered to elude uncertainties. Her next piece was an exceptional exposition of Saali Naas, drawn from the lasya tradition, composed by Mahapurush Madhavdev. Her concluding piece was Leela Govindam, which depicted the diverse stages of Lord Krishna’s life. The audience present was deeply moved by her graceful representation of Sattriya dance.  Shrutimala Medhi  Rohini Banerjee The pièce de résistance of the evening was the performance of the Odissi exponent, Rohini Banerjee, a senior disciple of Guru Sharmila Biswas. The Kolkata-based dancer presented Naman, beginning with Jagannath Sloka and followed by Shiv-Parvati Shabda. Her exquisite portrayal of the complementary Tandava and Lasya movements, the masculine and feminine forms, to represent balance and harmony left the audience enthralled. The evening culminated with a felicitation ceremony to honour the accomplished exponents who showcased their art at the event. Previously, Noida residents had to make the long trip to Kamani Auditorium, IGNCA and other such venues of Central Delhi to view classical dance, but with the introduction of the annual Satkara Nrityotsav festival to the roster of events at Noida, the city’s cultural scene has received a well-deserved fillip.  Yasmin Rahman is an editor, translator, and writer with an MPhil in English from the University of Hyderabad. Since 2007, she has worked in the publishing industry in Delhi with Katha, Oxford University Press, Pearson, Harper Collins Publishers, and Penguin. Her writing focuses on sharing the art, literature, and culture of her home state, Assam, with a wider audience. She trained for 12 years under the late Tapas Guha in the Jaipuri Gharana of Kathak. |
