BHUBANESWAR: Curtains came down on the biggest ever assembly of Odissi dancers in the world - the International Odissi Festival - here on Friday. The event was an amalgamation of up-and-coming dancers and accomplished Czarinas of Odissi who showcased subtle nuances and varieties of the beautiful dance form. The concluding day saw performances by 15 artistes in the morning. The evening show was marked by performances of Suchitra Mohapatra and group from Cuttack, a musical presentation by well-known musician Dhaneswar Swain and his troupe, Mahari by danseuse Rupashree Mohapatra and group, performances by Nilakantheswara Gotipua Gurukul Dance Academy of Brahmagiri, ‘Gatha Odissi’ that portrayed the story of transformation and resurgence of Odissi dance spanning from the Jagannath temple of Puri right up to the contemporary stage. A group dance recital by Rudrakshya and dance drama ‘Dasanana’ by Guru Shraddha from the US also held the audience spell-bound. The festival that started on December 23 saw 555 dancers foot-tapping in unison at Kalinga Stadium here in a bid to enter the Guinness World Records. The artistes, in their 30-minute show, presented all forms of the dance like ‘Mangalacharan’, ‘Batu’, ‘Vandana’, ‘Abhinaya’ and ‘Moksha’. Guru Ratikant Mohapatra choreographed the dance show while Guru Ramahari Das rendered the vocals. “The basic objective behind organising such a mega event was to take Odissi to a new pedestal of grand international recognition and set a record,” said Pratap Das, the chairman of the International Odissi Dance Festival. Later, the dance fiesta started with performances of eminent Odissi exponents Sonal Mansingh, Ileana Citaristi, Sujata Mohapatra at Rabindra Mandap on the first day. Internationally- acclaimed Odissi exponents Kumkum Mohanty, Minati Mishra, Aruna Mohanty and Meera Das also performed during the eight-day festival. The event also encouraged some budding talents including Arupa Panda, Prabhat Swain, Piali, Saswati Garai Ghosh, and dancers of Srjan and Nupur. Physically-challenged Odissi dancers Nityananda Das and Mithilesh also gave stunning performances. Nearly 200 dancers from 17 countries participated. Apart from Odissi dancers, exponents and gurus from across India and abroad participated in seminars and discussions on Odissi. Seminars on subjects like ‘Aesthetics of Odissi’, ‘Challenges of Odissi in 21st Century’, ‘Tradition, Innovation and Experimentation’, ‘Yoga in Odissi’, ‘Aharya’, Art of make-up and jewellery were organised throughout the cultural extravaganza. While principal architect of the programme was Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Secretary of Tourism and Culture, the festival was organised jointly by Odisha Tourism, Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre, US-based Indian Performing Arts Promotion (IPAP), ICCR and National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.
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