Bhubaneswar: The city’s art lovers were treated to an evening of aesthetic delight as the third edition of Ekagrata Dance Festival was held at Bhanjakala Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on Saturday.
Organised by Ekagrata Foundation, an Odissi dance institution in Bhubaneswar founded by young and talented Odissi dancer Sunil Behera, the festival, though only three years old, has carved a niche for itself in the city cultural calendar.
The evening began with the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony attended by distinguished guests like eminent Odissi dancer and CSNA awardee Dr Snehaprava Samantaray, eminent Odissi dancer Guru Gobinda Chandra Pal and former member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The ceremony was followed by the felicitation ceremony.
Distinguished Odissi dancers Smt Sarita Mishra and Smt Arati Kar were awarded with Sri Jayadev Samman and Ekagrata Nrutya Samman respectively.
The festival opened with a soul-stirring solo Odissi abhinaya by Smt Sarita Mishra, who is the artistic director of Adyasha Foundation, Bengaluru. She presented ‘Ahe Nila Saila’, set to Raga Arbhi and Tala Ektali, choreographed and rhythm by legendary Odissi maestro Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and music composed by Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra.
In this heart-wrenching prayer of 17th century Muslim poet Salabega, Smt Mishra took no time to have the art lovers in her thrall with her beautiful portrayal of Lord Vishnu protecting Gajaraja, the elephant king, from the crocodile, saving Prahalad from his wicked father Hiranyakashyap and rescuing Draupadi by providing her endless sarees after the Pandavas lost to the Kauravas in the dice game.
The dance piece was marked by emotional precision, clarity of movements and expressions.
The next performer of the evening was a solo Odissi recital by Minakshi Rani Jena, a senior dancer of Sankhanada Nrutyanusthana, founded by Guru Lingaraj Swain.
She presented an abhinaya Kha campu ‘Kharapa Tu Helure’, choreographed by Guru Lingaraj Swain, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. Here, sakhi tells Radha that she madly falls in love with Krishna who has conquered the Kaliya serpent, that her playing with a sword without being an expert shall only hurt her. Her expressive portrayal left the audience enthralled.
A refreshing treat for the audience came with a solo Bharatanatyam recital by Shrabanti Bhattacharjee from Kolkata.
A meticulously trained by respected gurus in the tradition, including Guru Smt. Sujatha Ramalingam and Guru Smt. Ambali Prahraj and associated with the esteemed Natarajan Dance Studio, she began her recital with ‘Chaturassya Alarippu’. With her perfectly chiselled adavus, well-executed geomatric lines, body movements and foot works, she immediately stroke a chord with the art lovers and common audience.
She followed her recital with the Padam, ‘Natarajan Un Thirudhu,’ where she showcased her expressive artistry and deep connection with the art form.
The evening further bloomed with a duet Odissi recital by Annapurna Mohapatra and Aaradhana Das, both disciples of Harekrushna Dhal, the founder of Gandharvika Dance Institution.
They presented ‘Chhanda Prakash , choreographed by Guru Harekrushna Dhal, music and rhythm composed by Anil Kumar Mohapatra and Muralidhar Swain respectively. Their graceful fluidity made the item enjoyable.
The evening came to an end on a devotional note with a group Odissi dance recital by the dancers of Saismruti Kalakendra’.
The five dancers of the institution (Kritika Mohanty, Sai Smruti, Subhashree Padhi, Ayesha Parida and Diksha Jena) presented ‘Dayamayee Maa’, choreographed by Guru Rajashree Jena and Sunil Behera, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The evening, anchor of the evening was Er (Dr) Srinivas Ghatuary, drew to a close with resounding applause.
