Three-day Kathak dance fest ends
A three-day kathak dance festival organised by Kathak Nritya Sampraday ended at Chhayanut auditorium in the capital on Tuesday.
The festival, organised for the sixth consecutive year, aimed at promoting kathak, one of the eight Indian classical dance forms, in the country.
Classical dancers from across the country performed at the event, which also featured seminar and conferring of Zeenat Jahan Memorial Award.
On the concluding day artistes of dance organisations like Nrityanchal, Nrityashaili, Pushpanjali, Kathak Nritya Sampraday, Agnila Nritya Niketan, Nrityalaya, Akriti, Angikam and Rewaz Performance Arts presented colourful kathak recitals at the event.
‘Lot of young dancers participated in the festival. We are happy that through the festival we have been able to promote kathak dance among the young dancers,’ said Saju Ahmed, chief of Kathak Nritya Sampradday.
On the second day of the festival artistes of eleven dance troupes from Dhaka and outside presented solo and group dance recitals.
Students of Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts commenced the second day’s programme with a group dance performance. Artistes of other dance troupes like Nupur Nikkan, Angikam, Rewaz Performance Arts, Rinijhini Lalitkala Academy, Benuka and host troupe Kathak Nritya Sampraday also performed at the event.
Dancer Aparajita of Rewaz Performance Arts presented a kathak dance recital synchronized with a thumri. Arpita of Kathak Nritya Sampraday staged a solo recital and artistes of Nrityashram presented a group dance recital to the audience’s delight.
The second day also featured a seminar on diverse dance forms found in the ancient terracotta works. Dance researcher Sheikh Mehedi Hasan presented the key-note paper and dancer Laila Hasan attended the seminar as the
chief discussant. Nigar Chowdhury, Munmun Ahmed and MR Wasek, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
Using references from ancient dance forms found in terracotta works of this region, Mehedi Hasan analysed that Gaudiya- Bangiya dance, which originated from Gauda, also known as Gaur, in Bengal, is different from other eight Indian dance styles like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohinattyam, Odissi and Sattriya.