Ocean Dance Festival concludes on a high note

Ushering in a new horizon of prospect for Bangladeshi dance artistes, and inspiring cultural exchange with the global dance community, the international dance biennial ‘Ocean Dance Festival 2019’ concluded in Cox’s Bazar on November 25.

The four-day (November 22-25) event was organised by World Dance Alliance–Asia Pacific (WDA-AP) and Nrityajog, the Bangladesh Chapter of WDA-AP.

The festival was supported by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangladesh Tourism Board, and was partnered with Mattra and Channel i. It featured hundreds of international dancers, choreographers, scholars, practitioners and researchers, performing diverse dance styles and conducting seminars, workshops, choreo labs, site-specific performances, dance conversations, as well as live and visual demonstrations of contemporary dance practices. Centering on the theme, Bridging the Gap, the venues, Mermaid Beach Resort and Cox Carnival, teemed with an unprecedented display of dance prowess.

The highlight of the day’s performances was Srishti Cultural Centre’s much–acclaimed production, Badi-Bandar Rupkatha. The production was based on the Arabian Nights story, Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. It featured innovative multi-media inputs, including a stunning 3D projection mapping on stage.

The production’s dance direction was done by Sukalyann Bhattacharya, while Joy Sarker composed the music. Renowned singers Lopamudra Mitra, Nachiketa, Srikanta Acharya, Anwesha, Jayoti, Raghab and Monomoy have lent their voices for the production. Shamim Ara Nipa, Shibli Mohammad, Dolly Iqbal, Sabrina Nisa, and Anisul Islam Hero were the lead dancers, while they colourfully staged the production accommodating 80 dancers.

Performances by the contemporary dance artistes of WDA-AP included Toilet Pump by Weimingpak (Hong Kong), Mine by Shammy Akter (Bangladesh), Touch the Sound by Sumedha Bhattacharyya (India), Ultraviolate by Shadhona and Nyeem Khan Dance Company (Bangladesh), Democracy by Eashin Arafat (Bangladesh), Thresholds Crossed-Reconfiguration by Megan Thompson (USA) and I & Myself by Anil Kumar Singh and Mofassal Alif (India and Bangladesh).

Prior to the performances, Anisul Islam Hero and Lubna Marium, President and General Secretary of Nrityajog, the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, alongside local dignitaries spoke at the concluding ceremony.