Jamshedpur, Jan 5: For the first time Sangeet Natak Academy (SNA) has come forward to promote Chhau dance of Saraikela. From January this year the academy has started giving scholarships to 10 local artistes so that they can concentrate and acquire greater skill in this dance form.

The academy has also appointed a coordinatior who would be overseeing and monitoring the performance of these 10 artistes. Each artiste would be paid a sum of Rs 500 per month for a period of three years. A city-based cultural enthusiast, Amitava Ghosh, has been appointed the coordinator by SNA for promotion of Saraikela Chhau dance.

The academy has already started promoting this dance form in Orissa in Mayurbhang district. Ghosh told The Telegraph that the chosen batch of students belongs to the age group of 12 to 18 years. “They are excellent dancers and were chosen after thorough scrutiny. The scholarship would provide the necessary impetus to take this dance form to greater heights,” Ghosh said.

The 10 selected youths include Rahul Naik, Kishore Pattnaik, Sumanta Kumar Kabi, Pirat Acharaya, Suren Soy, Avinash Kabi, Chandra Narayan Mohanty, Abhishek Singh Deo, Sanjay Karmakar and Sanat Sahu.

The dancers would be undergoing vigorous training under the guidance of three gurus — Tapan Pattaniak, Jay Narayan Samal and Makar Dharj Daroga — from this month onwards.

These three gurus have already been identified by the academy earlier for imparting training to the dancers. “The gurus have already started receiving their monthly emoluments of Rs 2000 per month,” Ghosh added. Of the four Chhau dance forms — Mayurbhanj, Manbhum, Saraikela and Kharsawan — the Saraikela form of Chhau dance is extremely popular abroad. The erstwhile rajas of Saraikela promoted this dance.

According to the coordinator of Saraikela Chhau dance, the academy plans to groom this batch of 10 dancers for three years and then send them abroad to perform.