Back to the basics

Roop Bandh,a dance festival,will bring on stage classical forms like Kathak,Bharatnatyam and Mohiniattam

Come March,when the entire country will be dealing with budget,fiscal deficits and appraisals,Pune will have a chance to indulge in cultural delights. Among them is ‘Roop Bandh’,a classical dance festival representing styles such as Kathak,Bharatnatyam,Mohiniattam,Kuchipudi and Odissi by young artistes.

To be held from March 1-3,the festival is organised by Nad-Roop and Maharashtra Cultural Centre (MCC). Nad-Roop is a 25-year-old institute based in the city that has been training students in Kathak. The institute is also known to provide a platform for eminent artistes from the Indian classical arts and hold workshops,seminars and lectures for enthusiasts.

Shubhangi Damle,programme co-coordinator,MCC,said,It is a new fad to convert original forms of Indian classical dances into contemporary ones. Although that is a form of evolving art,we wanted to bring something more original and basic. That is why they decided to include more exotic dance forms such as Mohiniattam,Odissi and Kuchipudi to the programme this year,she added.

The festival will begin with a solo performance of Mohiniattam by Mumbai-based Sujata Nair,followed by a Kathak performance. Day two will see solo performances by Kolkata-based Shashwati Garai (Odissi),Mumbai-based Amrita Lahiri (Kuchipudi) and Pune’s Sheetal Kolwalkar (Kathak). The last day of the programme will host performances by Mumbai-based Vaibhav Arekar (Bharatnatyam),a Kathak duet by Manasi Deshpande and Dhiren Tiwari.

Roop Bandh is fourth in the series of activities organised by Nad-Roop to celebrate its silver jubilee year. The year-long celebrations were inaugurated with a choreographic presentation,Kathak Infinite,showcasing 60 young Kathak dancers.

(The programme will be held at Jyotsna Bhole Sabagriha,near Hirabaug,Tilak Road,from 6 pm onwards)

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