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Tapping feet to tradition

Classical dancers Priya Venkataraman (Bharatanatyam) and Shagun Butani (Odissi) present a unique two day festival on solo choreographies in various classical styles, showcasing artistic and educative aspects of solo choreographies in 'Revisiting the Solo'.

Close to the duo’s heart, the conceptualisation of Ek, Anant is an endeavor to establish a venue and a much required platform for solo in the capital, showcasing traditional dance at its pristine best, exhibiting artistes who are doing commendable work in exploring and presenting memorable performances, that are inherent to timeless works of art.

This festival over two consecutive days will attempt to give Delhi a much needed platform for the genre. Ek, Anant is sponsored by Sudhaaya Foundation, in collaboration with the India International Centre(IIC)  will be held at IIC on 21 and 22 November.

Shagun Butani, a leading exponent of Odissi and Seraikella Chhau, trained in Odissi under masters like Aloka Panikar and the late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and in Seraikella Chhau from the late Guru Lingaraj Acharya and Guru Shashadhar Acharya. Though she has always firmly believed in the timeless and multi-faceted nature of our traditional dance forms, she has constantly endeavoured to renew her sensibilities by studying other movement forms, such as American Contemporary Dance and Yoga.

With a vision to introduce and connect a new generation of tech-savvy children to the profound beauty of traditional performing arts started Madhyam, a dance institute that imprints teaching in Odissi and Seraikella Chhau to students. A multi-faceted, richly layered background and experience in both performing and teaching have helped Shagun to enrich her own teaching methodology that she uses effectively to work with children. Shagun is the founder-director of Sudhaaya Dance Foundation

Priya Venkataraman, on the other hand is a world-renowned exponent of Bharatanatyam. She is known for her adherence to the classical traditional repertoire. Priya spent twelve years of her initial career in the United States where she performed extensively and taught Bharatanatyam through her dance school Kalakriti.

A recipient of the Lakshmi Viswanathan award for abhinaya and the Rohini Krishnan Endowment award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Priya is a sought after performer, choreographer and television anchor.

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