Classical art revival

The ruins of Purana Qila will soon come alive to music, classical dance movements and rhythm. A five-day cultural extravaganza featuring some of the most popular ancient dance forms, including Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Mohiniattam and Odissi, will light up its precincts. The 12th edition of “Ananya Dance Festival” is back to satiate the spirits of art aficionados from October 2 to 6. The event is organised by the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Sahitya Kala Parishad and Seher in collaboration with Doordarshan. Talking about the festival, Manjot Chawla, creative head of the festival said, “The festival has become one of the biggest cultural events of India. Since 2002, every year a large number of classical dance enthusiasts savour the unique experience. Ananya truly exemplifies the spirit of a culturally vibrant Delhi.” Malabika Mitra is one of the greatest exponents of Kathak in the country. Talking about her group’s performance, she says, “My group will begin with Vedasara-shivastotra, an invocation of Lord Shiva. followed by Talanga, Chand Parikrama, Gopi Biraha and a tarana set to raag malkaush and tintaal. Gopi Bihara explores the deep agony of the people of Vrindavan after Lord Krishna went back to Mathura.” Known for her tremendous efforts to promote and preserve Mohiniataam, Pallavi Krishnan will also be performing in the festival along with her group. “We will begin with Ganapati Stuthi, where the dancers seek blessings of Lord Vigneswara, followed by my solo act Padam. Next piece is Panchabhuta, a group dance which begins with the concept that the union of Shakti and Shiva evolved from the five elements,” says Krishnan. Excelling in duet dancing Bharatanatyam, dancers Kiran Subramanyam and Sandhya Kiran are set to mesmerise the audience with their unconventional choreography. “We are definitely for change, as long as the aesthetics and identity of the original form stay untouched. We will be presenting four different unrelated traditional Bharatnatyam numbers. The act opens with Pushpanjali, an invocatory piece that sets the mood and momentum for a colourful performance. In our second piece Shiva Stuti, the ensemble recreates the magic of Lord’s dance, its grandeur and the majestic beauty of His form, which will be followed by Madhurashtakam and Tillana, a lyrical composition of Sri Madurai N Krishnan.”