Ballet dancers positioned their tutus around their slim waists, Odissi dancers secured their headpieces and Bharatnatyam dancers adjusted their pleats to prepare for the dance extravaganza where all the mudras and steps come together, and this extravaganza takes place on April 29, for World Dance Day. Institutions, instructors and students alike have been preparing all year-long to manifest their talent and energy into these beautiful performances! Professional dancers shares their preparations for World Dance Day and more!
Vidisha Ravindranath, a Bharatnaytam dancer and member of the Sai Arts International along with the institution have planned a series of events where talented dancers are putting up a spectacle with Amarnath Ghosh and Shweta Venkatesh. Vidisha says, “We have brought innumerable artists together and it has proven to be quite a challenge. But since it was collaboration between Sai Arts International and Indira Nagar Sangeet Sabha, it was easier to get things into place. As an established choreographer, Sai Venkatesh has always been the best at what he does. Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Kerianadanam are the dances that will take place on that day!”
Some dancers are putting up workshops and seminars to celebrate the day. Sujitha Annem, a member of Tarantismo, is planning a workshop, “We are doing a demo workshop on April 29 at a popular lounge bar followed by a belly fusion performance. We are also performing at the finale of Soul Sante on April 29! There will also be a shimmy contest with prizes to win at our stall!”
Ranjani Venkatesan
When it comes to classical dance too, the stage is set for some celebration as Madhulita Mohapatra, an Odissi dancer pipes in, “For us dancers, this is a day to revel in the joys of dance and share our passion and happiness with all. It is heartening to see so many events organised in the city to celebrate the day. This time, my students are performing at a couple of events organised by city-based institutions, Kadambari Kalakeshetra; Shantala Arts and Ananya.”
As dance also is a part of many ordinary lives, Ranjani Venkatesan, a Salsa dancer and member of the Palladium Dance Company alongwith her students have been learning to perform a choreography for the past three months with guidance from Kaushal. “In terms of dance numbers and costumes, we want to showcase this choreography in our monthly Salsa Social hosted at Via Milano on May 2. We faced a few issues while preparing as all the people are from a non-dancing background, and it was a challenge to teach them how to hold a good posture!”
It is apparent that World Dance Day creates a platform for so many of us to showcase our hidden talents, and it’s a day where people can connect through the art of dance!
— Aamina Shabeer
