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Stage set for Konark dance festival

Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: The stage is set for the 22nd annual Konark dance and music festival at the specially designed Konark Natya Mandap open air auditorium at Konark from February 19 to 21. It is being hosted by Akademi awardee Guru Gangadhar Pradhan's Orissa Dance Academy in association with Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata and Orissa tourism.

Briefing the media on the festival, the oldest of its kind in Orissa, Pradhan, who is also the president of the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi, informed that the three-day event would kick off with group Odissi dance presentation by the Orissa Dance Academy repertoire.

It will be followed by flute recital by Jawahar Mishra of Cuttack and solo Odissi performance by US-based young dancer Shibani Patnaik, winner of the first Devdasi national award for young dancers last year.

New Delhi-based Kathak dancer duo Nalini and Kamalini, disciples of Jitendra Maharaj of Benaras gharana and a trend setter in temple style of Kathak dance, would also perform duets during the inaugural evening that would conclude with Central Sangeet Natak Akademi sponsored Chhow dance of Mayurbhanj.

The second evening would feature popular Odissi vocalist Mohapatra Minati Bhanja and solo Odissi dance by Switerzland-based Dipti Abhilas. A disciple of eminent dancer and actress Minati Mishra, Dipti, who hails from Karnataka, is also equally adept at Bharatanatyam and theatre.

Mumbai-based Prakriti Bhaskar and her troupe would present Bharatanatyam during the evening that will conclude with EZCC-sponsored Bihu dance of Assam.

Highlight

The concluding evening would commence with highly acrobatic Gotipua dance by Konark Natya Mandap troupe followed by performance of Hyderabad-based Kuchipudi maestro N.Venkat Rao. The highlight of the evening would be Kolkata-based Odissi dancer and choreographer Aloka Kanungo's group presentation that will include an experiemental Odissi presentation with Manipuri percussion instrument of Pung.

The festival will conclude with Sambalpuri and Bihu folk dances, Pradhan informed and added that there will also be a state level literary writers' meet during the event. Popular poet Ajay Swain will coordinate it, he added.

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