Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet-Nritya Mahotsav is just days away, and its proud presenter, Kathak dancer Uma Sharma, is making last-minute amends. She doesn’t look frazzled with all the commotion surrounding her, but we sense slight jitters that usually erupt involuntarily before a significant event. This one, for Uma, is more than just significant. It’s years of experience and dedication to the cultural crafts of the country that have been consolidated onto a stage of creative expressions.
The three-day event from January 9 will focus on the same as most other classical music and dance festivals—reviving interest in the traditional art forms among the younger generation who nowadays are easily distracted by Western and fusion music. “They mustn’t lose interest in our style of sangeet and nritya and that’s why the entry is free,” says Uma.
For the longest time, the dancer has been wanting to turn the festival into an all-night affair. She hopes, like it was in the bygone years, that people would gather and seat themselves in Indian style with gaddhas and ghao takias. “I am trying to bring back that ancient tradition, but considering many people find it hard to sit on the ground, I am not sure how feasible it would be. Nonetheless, I will try and implement it next year,” she says.