Bhubaneswar: The Utkal Rangamanch auditorium at the GKCM Odissi Research Centre here came alive on Sunday evening as Nrityaasha Trust hosted the eighth edition of the Nrityaasha Festival, offering a bouquet of scintillating Odissi, folk and tribal dance items.
Established in 2018 by Guru Smt Priyadarshini Pradhan Nayak, a disciple of Guru Pravat Kumar Swain, the Nrityaasha Trust has carved a niche for itself as one of Odisha’s premier institutions. Its flagship event, the Nrityaasha Festival has also emerged as one of the eagerly awaited festivals.
The festival unfolded in two parts -before and after the inauguration. The institution’s junior and sub-junior students took center stage with their spellbinding performances in the opening segment.
They presented ‘Deepamjyoti’, ‘Theki Theki’, ‘Sthayee’, ‘Ahe Nila Saila’, ‘Ghumura’ and ‘Ram Ram’. All the items were directed by Guru Smt Priyadarshini Pradhan Nayak, assisted by Saroj Behera, Arpita Debadarshini Mallick and Aradhana Das.
The second segment was the highlight of the evening, featuring the inauguration, felicitation ceremony and a series of mesmerising performances.
The evening commenced on an auspicious note with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by eminent Mardala maestro and SNA awardee Guru Dhaneswar Swain, Chinta O Chetana’s general secretary Surendra Das, co-founder of Banalata Creative Community Biswajit Dash and managing director of KKB. Guru Smt Priyadarshini Pradhan Nayak and her husband Premanshu Nayak were also present on the dais.
In their addresses, the guests in their addresses heaped praise on Guru Smt Priyadarshini Pradhan Nayak for her unwavering determination and dedication towards preserving and promoting Odissi dance and wished its continued success in the years to come.
Then the spotlight was shifted to the felicitation ceremony. Padma Shri guru Durga Charan Ranbir was felicitated with ‘Nrityaasha Samman’, in recognition of his decades-long dedication to the performing arts and his significant contribution to the preservation and promotion of Odissi traditions.
The cultural journey started with an engaging abhinaya ‘Madhave Maa Kuru’ from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, presented by young and graceful danseuse Sripunya Mohanty, a disciple of Padma Shri Guru Aruna Mohanty.
Choreographed by Guru Aruna Mohanty, music composed by Dr Subash Pani, the piece narrated how a sakhi persuaded Radha to set aside her arrogance and meet Krishna. Sripunya’s presentation was marked by grace, precision and clarity of movements, winning appreciation from the audience.
Keeping the momentum going, five senior artistes of Nrityaasha Trust presented ‘Trahi Durga’, choreographed by Guru Pravat Kumar Swain, music by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. The dancers’ synchronisation, striking formations and body movements made it a visual treat.
The host institution’s six artistes then came onto the stage to present ‘Krishnaya Tubhyam Namah’. Choreographed and rhythm composed by Padma Shri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and music composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena, the piece left the audience glued to their seats.
The art lovers were treated to another abhinaya ‘Lambodara’ performed by eight senior dancers of the hoist institution.
Choreographed by Guru Smt Priyadarshini Pradhan Nayak with music and rhythm composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and Guru Dhaneswar Swain respectively, the piece paid an evocative tribute to Lord Ganesh, the remover of all obstacles. The presentation left the audience captivated.
Following the invocation of Lord Ganesha, a prayer for salvation was offered to Lord Shiva through the group presentation ‘Siva Panchaka’ performed by eight dancers of the trust.
Choreographed and rhythm by Padma Shri Guru Gangadhara Pradhan and music composed by Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das, the piece was a well-executed one.
The penultimate presentation was a Sambalpuri folk dance ‘Dalia Khosa’, performed by eight dancers of the trust.
The festival then drew to a fitting close with ‘Jhagadi’, a vibrant tribal dance of Kandhamal district, jointly presented by the artistes of the trust and Nutan Kala Sansad.
The energetic performance foot-tapping rhythms and the earthy sounds of tribal instruments, brought the curtains down on a memorable evening and left the audience asking for more.
Premanshu Nayak delivered the vote of thanks, while Dr Mrutyunjay Rath anchored the programme.
