BENGALURU: April 29 is International Dance Day, a much-awaited day by dancers world-over. The day marks the celebration of dance across the globe and was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO, Paris. The day, April 29 is also the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the creator of modern ballet.
For the last three years, there was no celebration, however, this year there are two important events. Dance historian and prolific writer Ashish Mohan Khokar’s annual yearbook ‘attenDance 2022’, is being launched on April 28, at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. This is the 22nd edition of the yearbook, and will see guest editor Ranee Kumar, a Hyderabad-based arts writer present.
The content include articles by Dr Padma Subrahmanyam The Cosmic Dancer; Transcendence in dance by well-known dancer Mandakini Trivedi; Soul dances, does body dance? by Mikko Viitamaki; Sufiana-dance divine by Rani Khanam; My mystical experiences by V P Dhananjayan, among others.The event includes a seminar on Dance Matters and the session will be headed by an eminent dance guru, Lalitha Srinivasan. A dance photo exhibition by city’s well-known dance photographer Suresh VB will be inaugurated by former Ambassador to UNESCO Dr Chiranjiv Singh.
Dance 2.0
On April 30, Swapna Rajendrakumar, a talented Mohiniyattam dancer who trains young dancers in her institute, Nrityangana in Sahakar Nagar, is holding her maiden festival Umang at her institute, and is boldly making it a paid programme with a modest admission charge of `100. The programme will commence with a Mohiniyattam recital by Swapna and her disciples, which will be followed by an Odissi recital by Debasish Pattnaik and his disciples. The finale presentation will be a Kathak recital by Sampada Pillai.
Swapna is the disciple of Sunanda Nair and is presently training under the guidance of Kalamandalam Kshemavathy. She is also training in Bharatanatyam under Guru Kiran Subramanium. Debasish Pattnaik is a prominent Odissi exponent for nearly 30 years, under the guidance of Late Guru Kashinath Roul and Guru Durga Charan Ranbir. Sampada Pillai is a Kathak danseuse and is a disciple of Late Dr Rohini Bhate and an alumni of Kala Academy Goa.
(The writer is a dance critic)