Bhubaneswar: On the concluding evening of 49th edition of 4-day ‘Baishakhi’ festival, hosted by socio-cultural organization ‘Chinta O Chetana’ at Rabindra Mandap here from April 15 to 18, the stage came alive with a spellbinding performance by the senior dancers of Angika Dance Academy.
Sixteen talented dancers of ‘Angika Dance Academy’, a Cuttack-based Odissi dance institution founded by celebrated Odissi dancer Guru Shrabani Roy Mitra, narrated Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s most beautiful composition ‘Ritu Ranga’ on the stage, leaving the art lovers captivated. The dancers were Mallika Mitra, Bhaktilata Ram, Anwesha Mohanty, Ankita Das, Mohina Senapati, Lipsa Mohanty, Suhani Rana, Palak Thakkar, Likhita Jena, Manaswini Malla, Ridhima Agrawal, Sonakshi Mohapatra, Sambhai Swain, Aliva Raut, Akankhya Sahoo and Supratik Raut.
The Cuttack-based Odissi institution, founded by renowned dancer Shrabani Roy Mitra, presented “Rituranga – The Season’s Galore,” weaving together Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless poetry into a rich tapestry of movement and music.
Sixteen dancers took the audience on a lyrical journey through the changing seasons, painting vivid emotional landscapes that lingered long after the curtains fell. A notable highlight was the Odia translation of ‘Ritu Ranga’, undertaken by Swati Roy, making Tagore’s work more accessible to local audiences while retaining its poetic soul.
The production was a collaborative masterpiece, with choreography by Shrabani Roy Mitra, music composed by Guru Swapneswar Chakraborty, rhythm by Guru Satchidananda Das, and soulful vocals by Rupak Kumar Parida and Dr. Nazia Alam.
Each of the sixteen dancers rose to the occasion, delivering a performance that was seamless in synchronization, expressive in movement, and captivating in presence—proof that when art and passion meet, magic happens.
Founded in 1980 by Harekrushna Mahtab, ‘Chinta O Chetana’ continues to be a torchbearer of cultural and social initiatives in Odisha, blending artistic excellence with a commitment to societal upliftment. While former chief secretary of government of Odisha Sahadev Sahoo is its president, Surendra Das is its general secretary.
