Next week, the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village at Kovalam will turn into a shared stage for artists around the globe. The International Dance Festival 2025, held anually at the ven ue, will bring together perform-ances that range from the tradi tional to contemporary, all within two days.
The first evening begins at 7pm on November 1 with Rahul and Soethu's Bachata, a style of social dance from the Domini can Republic that originated in the 1960s. The mood then shifts to classical as Bidya Biswajeeta performs Odissi at 7.15 pm, pre-senting the distinct vocabulary and expression of one of In-din's oldest art forms.
At 8.15 pm, Devika Sajeevan presents Manasikara, a dance-theatre work in Bharatanatyam that explores how gender con ditioning shapes a woman's thoughts and choices. The night concludes with Bijula Balakrishnan's Maadhava Ras namrutham at 9.15pm, a Kuch-ipudi production.
The second evening, on No vember 2, begins with the high-light performance of the festi-val, where Italian dancer Lucrezia Maniscotti will present Bharatanatyam at 7pm.
It will be followed by Soumya Sukumaran, who performs Panchami at 7.45pm, a Mohini yattam production that nar rates the inspiring life and struggles of social reformer Ayyankali
At 11.30 pm, the College of Music will present a group dance production that high lights collaborative creativity The festival will conclude with a performance by mother daughter duo Sowbhagya Venk-itesh dancer and social me dia influencer and daughter Thara Kalyan.
According to Akshay MP from the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village marketing department, the event is designed to bring together contrasting yet con-nected traditions. "Different dance practices being intro-duced here and having them experience our culture is the main airn," he says. "It's about cultural confluence a place where audiences can experi ence different art forms."
This year's festival received around 500 entries, from which an expert panel selected the fi nal participants. Al Akshay adds that the organisers tried to en sure younger dancers also find space in the line-up
"We wanted to give more chances to upcoming perform ers and present works that go beyond what we usually see in dance festivals," he explains. The organisers expect a turn out of over 1,000 visitors for each performance during the two days.
Entry to the festival does not require a separate pass; visi-tors can access the perform ances with the 100 ticket that allows admission to the crafts village.
Alongside the dance events, audiences can explore the 31 craft studios within the com plex, where artisans work live, and spend time at the on-site restaurant between shows.
