Celebrating the classics

Spirit of Dance Festival 2015 brought the best of performances from India and Europe on one stage at Kamani Auditorium, April 10. 

Organised by Nrityashri Alaknanda and Alaknanda Institute of Performing Arts, the show featured professional dancers from India and Poland performing various pure dance forms including Kathak, Chhau from Mayur Bhanj, Sattriya from Assam and Baroque to the delight of all who were present.

Pt. Birju Maharaj; Hon’ble Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ananth Kumar; Ambassador of Poland to India, Tomasz Lukaszuk; Odisi exponent, Ranjana Gauhar; and MLA of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Vimla Batham graced the occasion by their presence.

The event was organised to commemorate the 25 years of AIPA existence. Talking about the journey, Nrityashri Alaknanda said, “I am thankful to all my mentors, including Pt. Birju Maharaj and my faculty who have honestly given their best to the Institute and honed the skills of my protégés. Indian culture seems to be lost in most areas of education, including the performing arts and the gap has been filled by new age culture, we feel that we should re-acquaint our next generation with the true art forms and with this as motto we have organised Spirit of the Dance Festival 2015.”

One of the participant,  Ambieca Saha, a Kathak exponent and a disciples of Nrityashri Alaknanda said, “16 years ago I was introduced to Kathak and the Guru – Shishya parampara at the Alaknanda Institute of Performing Arts. I feel that it is now our duty to safeguard and preserve our cultural heritage and to take this legacy forward. It is very important to introduce the real Indian culture to the youth and we feel if they understand the importance of such arts which exist in a culturally rich country like ours they too will be inclined to respect it and imbibe it.” The audience was also left spell-bound by an engaging Baroque Dance Production by Balet Dworksi Cracovia Danza troupe of Poland and its director Romana Agnel. For many and especially the younger generation of Indians this was an introduction to this popular classical European dance form.