Natya Vriksha’s 16th World Dance Day celebrations begin!

The mecca of classical dance is being organized in Delhi and all of us must try and make a pilgrimage to the Natya Vriksha World Dance Day celebrations at the India International Centre in Delhi.
The event is being held at IIC Delhi on 22 April, Saturday and 23 April, Sunday. This is the 16th edition of the celebrations and as always, the curator for the festival is the incomparable Vidushi Geeta Chandran. A Padma Shri awardee, Geeta ji is one of the most recognized names in Bharatanatyam today and is a tireless campaigner pushing the role of the classical arts in education and in public life. She is also the director of the Natya Vriksha Dance Collective and all her disciples who are part of the collective help Geeta ji organize the festival very efficiently.

Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya

This year too, as usual, post-COVID, the festival brings amazing riches. In the morning from 10 am to 1 pm on both days, there will be a two-day workshop on the Natya Shastra led by Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya from Kolkata. The workshop is titled ‘Understanding the Metaphysics of Movement: The True Spirit of Nritta’. This is going to be a spring of knowledge on nritta with its various components – chari, nritta hasta, karna etc. Here. The lesson that is going to be imparted is that nritta is an extension of inner space and time to manifest the movements in physical space in a specific timespan with sthiti, or the static state, and gati, the dynamic state. This aakash is connected to the ultimate reality. The progression is towards the ultimate purpose or the parama prayojana behind learning such movements, which is getting liberated and attaining the status of Shiva.

Kamalini Dutt

I asked Geeta ji about perhaps streaming the workshops on a digital platform, and she had a strong reason to keep it a physical space: ‘Last year, when we relayed WDD events on Metaverse, it affected live audiences coming to the IIC. Putting it online makes it easier for lazy viewing. I want audiences to be there live and I want the dance artists to feel the privilege of a live audience.’

Dr. Divya Devaguptapu

On Day 1, there will be a seminar on the ‘Role Of Arts In Education - Curriculum Building, Integrated Learning & Empowering Stakeholders’. On Day 2, there will be a lec-dem on ‘Yoga And Dance: Embodiment and Choreography in the Language of Odissi’ by Dr. Rekha Tandon from Pondicherry. Smt. Kamalini Dutt is this year’s recipient of the Natya Vriksha Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Rekha Tandon

The Dance Fest this year features four stellar performers: Odissi by Shalakha Rai, Bharatanatyam by Dr. Divya Devaguptapu, Sattriya by Mridusmita Das and Bharatanatyam by Pavitra Bhat. 

Shalakha Rai

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PROGRAMME
 

Saturday, 22 April 2023

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Understanding The Metaphysics Of Movement - the true spirit of nritta: A workshop on Natyashastra led by Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya, Director, Chidakash Kalalay (Kolkata)

4 p.m.: Seminar: Role Of Arts In Education - Curriculum Building, Integrated Learning & Empowering Stakeholders
Discussants: Shashi Banerjee (Director of Education, Shiv Nadar Schools), Manjima Chatterjee (Vice Principal, Shiv Nadar School, Noida), Amritha Sruthi Radhakrishnan (Research Scholar); Radhika Kathal (Arts Educator - Dancer); Moderator: Geeta Chandran

6:30 p.m.: Natya Vriksha Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Smt. Kamalini Dutt, for her seminal work in documenting dance

NATYA VRIKSHA DANCE FEST- DAY I
--Odissi by Shalakha Rai (Delhi)
--Bharatanatyam by Dr. Divya Devaguptapu (Chennai)

Sunday, 23 April 2023

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Understanding The Metaphysics Of Movement - the true spirit of nritta: Day II of workshop on Natyashastra led by Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya, Director, Chidakash Kalalay (Kolkata)

4 p.m.: Lec-Dem On Yoga And Dance: Embodiment and Choreography in the Language of Odissi by Dr Rekha Tandon (Pondicherry)

6:30 p.m.: NATYA VRIKSHA DANCE FEST - DAY II
--Sattriya by Mridusmita Das (Guwahati)
--Bharatanatyam by Pavitra Bhat (Mumbai)

Pavitra Bhat