Chhayanaut holds Classical Dance Festival

Country's leading cultural school Chhayanaut held its classical dance festival at its main auditorium on January 6. The regular annual festival featured both group and solo performances by various dance troupes and soloists from across the country. The artistes displayed five forms of classical dance –Manipuri, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Gaudiya Nritya and Kathak by both emerging and renowned dancers.

Set on Manipuri, Sharmila Bandopadhyay, Sonia Rashid and artistes of Chhayanaut set off the event with performing radha roop pareng, portraying beauty of Radha in different moods and situations. Tamanna Rahman with her troupe was on rhythm while presenting dhol-kartal-cholom while artistes of Dhriti Nartanalay gracefully performed dandoraas. Manipuri soloists -- Samina Hossain Prema, a Chhayanaut teacher, Sweety Das and Shantana Devi (Sylhet) offered -- shuksaridwando, shivpanchak shoron and dashavatar – respectively.

Tamanna's troupe gives a riveting performance. Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Only Odissi soloist Proma Abanti (Chittagong ) showcased abhinaya. Rachel Priyanka Perris was also the lone Gaudya Nritya artiste at the festival, who offered Ganesh Vandana.   

Artistes of Chhayanaut presented a group dance on the theme saveri jyotismaram as Bhratanatyam recital begins. Dancers of Sristi Cultural Centre presented shabdam while Jaago Art Centre artistes performed tillana, a rhythmic piece of Bharatanatyam.  Two soloists -- Amit Chowdhury and Tamanna Rahman Tandra performed shivapadam and shankararudra, eulogizing Lord Shiva.

Munmun Ahmed (L) and Rachel Priyanka Perris perform at the festival.

Kathak was the last featured style of the evening. The popularity of Kathak occurred over time because of its incorporation with ghazal, thumri and dadra. Renowned dancer-choreographer Munmun Ahmed and her troupe performed a superb tarana. Promising artiste Mehraj Haque Tushar also performed tarana. Monira Parveen Happy performed a beautiful thumri while artistes of Kathak Nritya Sampraday presented chhandamalika at the festival. The packed audience greeted the featured performances with rounds of applause. Mafidul Haque, executive committee member of Chhayanaut delivered welcome address at the beginning.