Anisul Islam Hero on the aesthetic vision of dance

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

The artiste shared his experience as the organiser of such a grand event. “We had a great sense of understanding amongst us. This success was the result of an excellent team effort. I hope lessons and experiences of this festival will help us hold the next festival more perfectly” shared Hero. “Previously, we hosted many national festivals and staged dance dramas. However, this was the first time we organised an international festival.”

Hero, the director of Srishti Cultural Centre, is set to perform in Nepal on an invitation from Mashfee Binte Shams, Ambassador, Bangladeshi Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. “We will perform there on December 16. This is our third visit to Nepal. We will also perform at the Youth Festival, which is to be held in Pokhara, Nepal, on December 18. As far as I know, the band Joler Gaan is also going there to perform on December 15 and December 17, respectively,” said the dancer.

Following the Nepal tour, Srishti artistes will visit South Korea on December 20 to perform in the International Migrants Day programme, organised by Abida Islam, the Ambassador of Bangladesh in South Korea. “Our five-member troupe is going to Nepal and an eight-member troupe will go to South Korea. We will perform folk, Srijansheel, contemporary and classical dance forms along with and dance pieces set on Rabindra and Nazrul Sangeet,” he adds.

Srishti Cultural Centre celebrated their silver jubilee this year. Marking the milestone, they hosted series performances in Dhaka and conducted workshops and collaborative performances, in association with cultural school Fulki in Chittagong and dance organisation Nrityashoili in Sylhet. They further plan to host a grand programme in Dhaka, in February 2020.

Hero also pointed out that budgets, honorariums and opportunities for dancers in Bangladesh are limited. 

“We cannot enhance any contemporary or creative dance performance unless we properly learn classical dance. The aesthetic vision, set, light, costumes, props, ornaments and many things are required to perfectly showcase a dance performance,” he added. “Many choreographers and TV programme producers pay little heed to the aesthetic qualities prior to delivering any performance. The mudra that a slim artiste can deliver, may not be aesthetically suited for a bulky artiste. Choreographers should experiment once they are properly trained in classical dance.”