Vijayawada: After the Children’s Festival and Theatre Festival, now, AP’s Capital Amaravati will host a classical dance festival. The two day-festival, Amaravati Nrityotsav, will begin with the inaugural by minister of culture and tourism Bhuma Akhila Priya on Dec. 2 and it will conclude on Dec. 3 at Siddhartha Auditorium. The land of Amareswaram, one of the Pancharamams, the abode of Lord Shiva, Amaravati, is the most suitable place for showcasing the true Indian classical dance which would symbolise Nataraja, the Lord of dance.
The event will showcase budding artists along with a few eminent national and international classical dancers of Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Rajasthani, and Odissi dances. The dancers are going to perform individually and in teams too. It will be a visual feast to the lovers of classical dance and give a push to the children towards learning classical dance.
Nataraj Music and Dance Academy, founded by B.R. Vikram Kumar, a member of International Dance Council of UNESCO, has been conducting various festivals for the past 16 years. The Fest- Amaravati Nrityotsav is the first one after the formation of new state.
“The Academy, as part of promoting and protecting Indian Art Forms in Amaravati, has organised an India Dance Festival in 2015 and named it Amaravati Nrityotsav after the State’s new capital,” said B.R. Vikram Kumar, founder, Nataraj Music and Dance Academy.
The first performance in the Nrityotsav will be by Kuchipudi dancer, Sudagani Geetha Narayan from Visakhapatnam. Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2017 will be presented to Manipuri exponent Dharshana Javeri at the festival. Other awards to be given during the festival are Amaravati Naatya Puraskar and Amaravati Vystha Nrithy Award.
