|     |
|
| |
REVIEW / REPORTStirring dances at national dance festival- Vijay Shankere-mail: vijaydance@gmail.com October 28, 2026 Tridhara (Bhubaneshwar) with the support from Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Nanavati Performing and Fine Arts Forum, presented the national dance festival on 8th September in the Nanavati College premises in Vile Parle, Mumbai, for the college students to promote and propagate classical and folk dances of India. It was interesting to watch vibrant folk dances presented on the same platform along with classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Manipuri.  Tridhara ensemble Tridhara is the Odissi dance group led by Odissi mentor and exponent, Dr Gajendra Panda from Bhubaneshwar. The Tridhara group performed the Mangalacharan dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odissi dance. This was followed by the solo Bharatanatyam performance by Sanika Shinde, disciple of Dr Sandhya Purecha. Sanika performed satiric piece on Lord Krishna, "Ha Kapati" in which the heroine considers the Lord a cheat, as he enjoys with other Gopis and fails to turn up. This was performed with subtle expressions, precise execution of stylized movements performed with a vivacious quality.  Sanika Shinde  Rasika Gumaste Pune based accomplished Odissi exponent Rasika Gumaste presented a performance on the significance of the feminine spirit of the goddess, based on her research work of 64 Yogini Temple, pertaining to the iconography and its particular relevance with Odissi. Rasika and her talented team of dancers that included a male dance too, performed Yogini Namavali, Battu Parvati and Dhyayeti Yogini, incorporated varied attributes like the benevolent and virile aspect of the goddess, as the destroyer of the demon Mahisa. Her performance was noteworthy for the stylistic quality and the dramatic prowess. The dancers with Rasika were Gauri Shukla, Iravati Dhembare, Sajal Dey and Aabha Date.  Manipuri ensemble  Lavani dancers Manipuri dancer Purbita Mukherjee and her group performed numbers in praise of Lord Krishna, inclusive of Sankirtan. The Manipuri dancers were elegantly and colourfully attired with the stiff circular skirt that sways gently when the dancer dances. The Sambalpuri folk dance hails from Sambalpur. It is a tribal dance of slow and simple movements, danced together for social interaction and happiness, performed for social and religious occasions. The Lavani dance was the most vibrant and lively dance of the evening, enhancing the folk element with lot of enthusiasm, bringing folk dance closer to the audience, led by Surbhi Kalidas Masnale and her group. The students were thrilled to watch the energetic performance of the dancers. Dr Ravindra Katyayan was the host of the evening. Dr Gajendra thanked the officials of the Nanavati Performing Arts Forum for having invited him and his troupe of dancers to present a fine spectacle of Indian dances.  Vijay Shankar is a Kuchipudi and Kathakali exponent, teacher, bilingual journalist, arts critic and actor. |
