Bhubaneswar: Nrutyanilaya and Nrutyankita, two Odissi dance institutions based in Angul and Bhubaneswar respectively, presented 3rd Samarpan Samaroh at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on October 13.
The trained and talented dancers of both the institutions had the audience eating out of their hands.
After the customary lighting the lamp ceremony, started the felicitation ceremony. Noted Odissi dancer Dr Snehaprabha Samantaray received 3rd Guru Samman 2022.
The cultural evening started with a scintillating group Odissi dance recital presented by 10 senior dancers (Swarnanki Das, Lopamudra Mishra, Sangita Pradhan, Ekansha Garnaik, Jasmin Kar, Sai Rakshita Swain, Chinmayee P Rout, Dipa Behera, Rati Ranjan Amanta and Jasobanta Samal) of Nrutyanilaya. They presented ‘Agni’, set to Raga Malika and Tala Malika. Their synchronisation and stage management took the presentation to a higher degree. While Guru Swapnarani Sinha choreographed it, script and music by Guru Ramhari Das and rhythm composition by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The following item was a solo Odissi recital presented by Dr Ankita Rath, who was the festival coordinator and a disciple of Guru Swapnarani Sinha, who was the director of the festival.
Dr Rath is a doctor by profession and an Odissi dancer by passion. Despite being busy with her profession, she always makes it a mental note not to let her passion gets hampered by her profession.
Dr Rath presented an abhinaya ‘Mohana Murati Chhailo’, one of the finest compositions of poet Banamali Das, choreographed by Guru Swapnarani Sinha, set to Raag Bhairavi and Taal Khemta.
She was excellent in portraying a nayika, enamoured by the beauty of Krishna.
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Perfect mudras, excellent facial expressions, eye and body movements and use of stage space contributed a lot to make the presentation enjoyable. Her presentation proved her understanding of the composition.
Next came onto the stage Bijan Palai, a disciple of Guru Aruna Mohanty, who presented ‘Sundarakanda’. The item was choreographed by Guru Aruna Mohanty, music composition by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena, rhythm composition by Guru Bijay Kumar Barik.
His brilliance in enacting the scenes of Lord Hanuman coming to Ashok Vatika in Lanka to find the whereabouts of Sita, being caught by Ravana’s army, his tail being set on fire and he setting the Lanka on fire left the audience spellbound.
Next came Ravishankar Majhi, a disciple of Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, who presented an abhinaya ‘E ghora barasha kale’, by poet Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanj, choreography by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, music by Guru Ramhari Das, set to Raag Kedar Kamodi and Taal Tripata. It gave an engrossing viewing experience to the trained as well as untrained eyes.
The next item was a solo Odissi recital by Abhipsa Pati, who is honing her dance skill under the watchful eyes of Guru Snehaprabha Samantaray. She presented an abhinaya ‘Hari ambhara e ta pranadhana go’, one of the finest compositions of Kabisurya Baladev Rath, dance choreographed by Dr Snehaprabha Samantaray and music composition by Guru Nimakanta Routray.
Pati’s dance overflowed the stage and encompassed the rasikas. A wide round of applause stood testimony to it.
What came next was a group presentation by six well trained students of Nrutyankita (Shibani Patnaik, Debasmita Mallik, Saberi Jadhav, Paratyusha Swayamsmita Behera, Tapaswee Jena and Aradhaya Panda). They presented Kavi Upendra Bhanj’s famous janana, ‘Mana udharana kara he tarana’, based on Raga Arabi and Tala Tripata, choreographed by Guru Swapnarani Sinha, directed by Dr Ankita Rath, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm composition by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The dancers’ controlled and gentle movements proved the quality of training imparted by Guru Swapnarani Sinha.
The concluding item of the evening came as a pleasant surprise. Nine tiny trots (Poulomi Das, Soujanya Pradhan, Lavanya Das, Chinmayee Sahu, Snehankita Senapati, Sneha Mahato, Sushree Sharmistha, Saishree Mishra and Sai Lakshana) of Nrutyanilaya presented ‘Krishnaleela’ and left the audience rooted to their seats.
While the guests of the evening were Director of Tourism Department, Odisha, Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Principal of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Guru Bijay Kumar Jena, advisor of Nrutyanilaya Hemant Kumar Dash and noted Odissi dancer Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, the emcee of the evening was Biswajit Baliarsingh.
Photo courtesy: Soulful Odisha & Roopachitram
