Twenty five years is a long time in an arti-ste’s life to understand the nuances of an art form, to assess the purpose of pursuing an artistic career. But this reviewer encountered a few revelations when the Indian Cultural Ensemble staged a three-day dance festival to celebrate its silver jubilee year under the guidance of Aditya Mitra at the Rabindra Sadan (June 24-26).

Each evening commenced with a short piece of different classical dance style, followed by a dance-drama like Pather Panchali (in picture), Kabi and Kalmrigaya. Group presentation of Kathak, directed by Samapti Das, was well-synchronised. Young artistes exhibited commendable skill in their execution, while soft movements were aesthetically exploited by Das in Swapne amar mone holo. Spontaneous Ha Re Re Re and Momer Putul by little students stole the show.

Unconventional choreography of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s Pather Pa-nchali in creative dance style by Mitra’s students lacked elaboration. However, the Apu-Durga sequences by the young artistes were lively. The dance drama on the second day was Kobi. It was based on the same script done by the late Asit Chattopadhyay in 60s. Mitra could not do justice to this wonderful Tarashankar Bandopadhyay creation.