Bhubaneswar: The two-day-long Stabaka, a dance and music festival, organised by Chinmayee Classics, one of the premier dance and music institute in the city, here at Rabindra Mandap ended with spellbinding performances on Wednesday.
After the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony, the guests comprising Guru Dr Bijay Kumar Jena, Principal of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and Guru Dr Manoranjan Pradhan, head of the department, Odissi Dance Department of Utkal University of Culture and institution’s director Guru Bijay Kumar Das, young and talented Hindustani vocalist Bageshree Behera and Odissi dancer Shreya Mishra were felicitated with Stabaka Pratibha Samman.
Thereafter, the cultural evening started with a Hindustani classical recital by Bageshree.
The presentation assumed significance for the fact that she was supported on the Harmonium by her Guru and father Guru Balkrishna Behera, on the Tanpura by her mother Ullasmani Behera and on the Tabla by Shrutiranjan Padhi, son of Guru Rajanikant Padhi.
Bageshree chose raga Bhoopali to commence her recital. She then went on to present a composition of Guru Rajanikant Padhi a bandish in Madhyalaya Ektaal, Tarana and a Kabir Bhajan ‘Mo Ko Kanha Dhunde Re Bande’.
She regaled the audience with her mellifluous voice.
The next item was a group Mardal recital under the direction of Guru Bibhutibhushan Balabantaray, who is presently working as a lecturer in the Mardal department of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.
While the other Mardal players were Sunilbhai Behera, Deepak Kumar Nayak, Nishikant Pallei and Soumya Ranjan, all are the students of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Muralidhar Swain lent a support on the Harmonium.
Next, the junior dancers of the institution presented Mangalacharan, an invocatory item of Odissi repertoire where a dancer seeks the blessings of Gods, Gurus and audience for a prosperous start. While the item was choreographed by Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das, music composed by Guru Ballkrushna Das, it was directed by Guru Bijay Kumar Das.
The following item was ‘Basant Pallavi’, presented by Subhashree Rout, Ananya Ray, Shravani Senapati and Sonali Patnaik. It was followed by another Pallavi, Charukeshi Pallavi by Shreya Mishra.
The sixth item of the evening was ‘Mo Odisha’, where the dancers described various aspects of the culturally rich state.
The evening concluded with ‘Rasarkeli’, a Sambalpuri folk dance. The well-trained dancers of the institution left the audience spellbound with their performance.
Despite it being a rainy evening, there was a good number of art lovers in the auditorium to witness the programme.
On the inaugural evening, Guru Smt Sujata Mohapatra, Guru Sangeeta Panda, Dr Itirani Samanta and Guru Pranati Mohanty were felicitated with Stabaka Kala Samman-2023.
Er Srinivas Ghatuary was the emcee of the festival.
It is worth mentioning that Guru Smt Prabhati Kar, a disciple of Odissi doyen Padmavibhushan recipient Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, established Chinmayee Classics in the year 1991 with an aim to promote Odissi dance, music, instrumental and art and craft. Her disciples have participated in many state and national level festivals in Odisha, India and abroad.
