Artistes perform at Kalidas Rangalaya in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Dec. 14: Culture connoisseurs were treated to a unique blend of folk and classical music and dance performances at Kalidas Rangalaya this evening.

Organised by Rangshala, a cultural institution, the event not only brought the folk music and folk dance of different states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab to a common platform, but it also got the touch of sophistication in the form of classical music recital and classical dance performances. The show left the audience yearning for more.

Giddha, a folk dance form of Punjab, Asamia, belonging to Assam and a folk dance of Bihar added to the charm of the show along with classical music recital and classical dance performances. The presence of performing artists from various disciplines also lent the show added beauty and flavour.

The presence of artistes from different disciplines of art and culture like Rama Das, an acclaimed Kathak dancer, Shyam Sharma, a noted painter and former principal of College of Arts and Crafts and Navneet Sharma, a well-known theatre artiste, gave a dimension to the show, which was different in both form and style from other cultural evenings.

Around 70 students of Nagendra Prasad Mohini, the director of Rangshala and an acclaimed classical dancer, performed in the cultural show.

Curtains went up with a Kathak performance on Krishna Stuti in which the protagonist, Amar Kumar Pandey, danced with Sarita, Suman, Nitu, Chanda, Payal, Bharti and others.

The dancers were accompanied by Ratul Kanti Das on tabla, Manoj Vishwakarma on synthesizer, Ravish Mishra on naal, Nagendra Prasad Mohini on harmonium and Minu Kumari, Tanuja Kumari and Manoj in the vocals.

Fifth year students of Kathak gave the second performance of the evening on the Ganesh, Saraswati and Guru vandanas. Yamini, a student of seventh year in Kathak, gave a solo performance that held the audience spellbound.

Among the other performances that drew loud applause were the folk dances from Assam, Punjab and Bihar. The dance number from Bihar was entwined with lyrics Dahia Beche. A dance drama Saat Bhai Champa, based on Kaviguru Rabindranath’s dance drama, also received thunderous applause.

The audience comprised parents of the children who performed today along with the veteran artistes.

Vikrant Chauhan, a 21-year-old theatre artiste appreciated the performance. He said: “I liked the first performance of the evening, the Kathak dance on Krishna Stuti. The following recitals and performances were good but the first stole my heart.”

Reema Devi (37) was one of the parents today whose child was performing on the stage. The proud mother gushed: “I am really happy that my 10-year-old daughter, Arpita, is giving the first performance of her life on stage. I have come to cheer her.”