Everything about dance fascinates me—be it the musicality, the rhythm, the vibrant costumes of each dance form, the philosophy, and spirituality. I think dance has everything,” shares 2007 Padma Shree awardee Geeta Chandran (60). Chandran’s Natya Vriksha—she founded the dance company in 1991—is organising the 15th edition of ‘World Dance Day Celebrations 2022’ to celebrate the performing art form.
Hosted in collaboration with India International Centre, Lodhi Road, this two-day event—it commenced on Friday and is organised after a two-year hiatus—will look at different classical Indian dance forms through a range of performances, workshops, and seminars. “I feel that the experience of seeing a performance live lasts forever in the minds of an audience. A virtual festival won’t do justice to performing arts,” shares the Gulmohar Park-resident.
The festival, which is divided into sections, commenced with a Koodiyattam (a traditional performing art from Kerala) workshop by Kalamandalam Krishnendu. Along with this, the festival will also conduct a national seminar on classical group choreography with performing arts stalwarts such as Odissi artist Madhavi Mudgal, Kathak exponent Shama Bhate, among others.
Born to dance
The major attraction of this event will remain the Dance Fest that will present performances of four dance forms—Koodiyattam by Kalamandalam Krishnendu, Bharatanatyam by Sowmya Laxmi Narayanan, Odissi by Lipsa Satpathy, and Kathak by Abhimanyu Lal.
Originally from Odisha, Satpathy will narrate the culture and heritage of Odisha and its people accompanied by Odia music through her performance. “The best way to understand the culture and tradition of Odisha is to visit the remote places of the state. That is where the true heritage is hidden.
I want to bring that out through my dance,” she says. Mentioning the importance of having a space to perform for World Dance Day, Satpathy shares, “For us performers, the stage is like a place of worship. World Dance Day is a celebration of dancers and artists and getting a platform to showcase my craft on such a celebration is nothing short of a blessing.”
Speaking of why such festivals should happen more often, Satpathy concludes, “The event is an attempt to provide an overall understanding of dance. Youngsters need to understand that dance is not just about performing but so much more than that. It is important to understand the history of the arts and respect the work that has already been done.”
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: ‘Natya Vriksha’s 15th World Dance Day Celebrations’
WHEN: Today; 10:00am onwards
WHERE: India International Centre, Lodhi Road