The leading cultural organisation Chhayanaut will hold a two-day classical dance festival at its premises, from tomorrow. This is the third time Chhayanaut is organising this festival.
Manipuri, Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak, an array of prominent classical dance forms will be performed throughout the festival. A special performance on Gaudiya Nritya will be presented by Rachel Priyanka Paris. Apart from Chhayanaut students and teachers, eminent dance artists, such as Tamanna Rahman, Munmun Ahmed, Warda Rihab, Amit Chowdhury and invited guests from outside Dhaka will perform at the festival. A number of dance schools, like Nrityanchal, Nrityashree, Nrityam, Jaago Art Centre and Kathak
Nritya Sampradaya, will add more colours to the event.
Dhaka Tribune talked with some well-known dance artists of Bangladesh, who will perform at the festival, to find out what they will perform, their opinions on the classical dance scene in Bangladesh and more about the festival:
Munmun Ahmed
I will perform a dance rendition titled Sargam which will be synchronised with raga Malkosa on the first day of the dance festival.
Many organisations are promoting classical dance through foreign artists, especially artists from India. On the contrary, many classical dance artists of our country are taking part in international festivals abroad, but they are not getting due recognition in Bangladesh.
We need to be more concerned about promoting our own dancers at the national level. I appreciate Chhayanaut’s initiative in popularising classical dance.
Amit Chowdhury
On the first day of the festival, I will perform Natesha Kauthuvam which is a fast-paced dance recital praising the supremacy of Natesha (Shiva), who dances with a drum in one hand and is worshipped by sages.
Classical dance is the basic of all dance forms. A dancer should have the orientation of classical dance, and then he should proceed to try different genres of dance.
Our next generation should know the rich heritage of classical dance. By organising such festivals, Chhayanaut created a platform for Bangladeshi classical dancers to demonstrate their talent.
Warda Rihab
I will perform a dance recital on Tandava (a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution), choreographed by Guru Bipin Singh and the voice is given by Kalavati Devi. I will perform on second day of the festival. The performance is a demonstration of pure classical dance without Avinaya (acting).
The festival will be a rendezvous of classical dancers from all around Bangladesh.