Odissi and Seraikela Chhau exponent Shagun Butani is a proud parent of 50. She treats all her little students as her own and today is a proud moment for her as her group of students will be performing, Odissi ke Rang, Bachpan ke Sang, on May 12 at Epicentre, Gurgaon. Fifty young dancers will take the stage who have been trained by Shagun at her institute, Madhyam. ‘‘As a part of their curriculum, my students perform every year before they break for summer. I am so proud to see them develop into graceful dancers. All of them understand the nuances and bring to the show a unique aspect that is inherent to their individual personalities,’’ she says.
Shagun, who has conducted numerous workshops for Odissi and Seraikella Chhau in the US, Mexico, Italy, Japan and South Africa, is a noteworthy artist herself. Trained in American contemporary dance, Hatha Yoga and Zen Dance, she has a rich repertoire of skill sets. Based on her experiences, Shagun encourages performance-based learning as that helps a student to loosen up. ‘‘Training is just one aspect of learning. The other is to put up a good show and for that, practice and precision are paramount. Young children grasp quickly, hence picking up the movements with perfection,” she says. Entry is free for all; first come, first served. 4 pm to 5.30 pm.
