A weeklong (April 23-29) colourful programmes marking International Dance Day will set off today at Fine Art premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). Noted artist and cultural personality Mustafa Monwar will inaugurate the event at 5pm. The theme for the year is “Santrash Rukhe Dao Nrityer Chhondey.” 

Bangladesh Nritya Shilpi Sangstha (BNSS) and BSA have jointly organised the event. President Minu Haque and general secretary Mahfuzur Rahman of BNSS, and director of music, dance and recitation department of BSA Sohrab Uddin will be present at the inaugural event. Secretary and acting director general of BSA Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury will preside over the programme. 

The weeklong programmes will feature dance fair, seminar, workshop, joyous procession, discussion, honouring dance artiste and display of various dance forms. 

Performance of dance with fair will be held every day (April 23-28) from 3pm to 9pm at the National Art Gallery Plaza. A five-day (April 26-30) Bharatnatyam workshop will be held at the rehearsal room of Music and Dance Centre of BSA. Dr. Arkadev Bhattacharya in association with Nobochetona Sangskritik Kendra will conduct the workshop everyday from 3:30pm to 8pm. Mina Md. Nazrul Islam will present a keynote paper titled “Santrash Protirodh-e Nrityakalar Obosthan” at a seminar to be held at the seminar room of National Theatre Hall of BSA at 3pm on April 28.   

The programmes to mark International Dance Day (April 29) will start at 3pm with a colourful rally that, starting from BSA premises, will parade several streets of the capital and end at BSA.

A grand celebration programme, featuring discussion, honouring dance artiste and dance display, will take place at National Theatre Hall of BSA at 6:30pm the same day. Noted dance artiste Narayan Dev will be honoured at the programme. Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, MP is expected to attend the programme as chief guest. BSA director general Liaquat Ali Lucky will preside over the programme.