Rebecca Villaret rehearses at Majuli for the festival. Telegraph picture

Jorhat, Nov. 14: Raas Utsav in Majuli will have a French connection this year with a young lady from France set to perform in the three-day show to be held at Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kamalabari.

This is the first time a foreigner will take part in Raas Utsav at Majuli.

Rebecca Villaret, 18, had come to Majuli about a year ago to carry out a study on Sattriya culture at Majuli, the seat of Vaishnavite culture, and was so touched by the Raas Utsav that she returned this year to be a part of it.

“She is presently doing rehearsals for her role as a gopi for the utsav scheduled from November 20. Actress Barasha Rani Bishaya will also perform with Rebecca,” Prabhat Bora, the president of Sanmilita Silpi Samaj, the organisers of the festival, told this correspondent.

The assistant secretary of the samaj, Dhurbajyoti Bora, said Rebecca had visited Majuli along with a group of other tourists from France last year and had visited the sports complex while rehearsals were going on and learnt a few steps then.

“This year when she arrived again, our dance director asked her whether she was interested in taking part in the festival and she agreed and here she is,” Bora said.

Though Raas festival is a part and parcel of Majuli’s culture with almost every satra hosting it during winter, the Sanmilita Silpi Samaj has been organising it for the past five years.

“We enrol artistes from all over the state who are interested in taking part in the Raas festival. This year, cine artiste Barasha Rani Bishaya will perform in the role of Debaki,” Bora said.

Barasha had performed on the same stage two years ago in the role of Debaki.

Bora said though Rebecca was doing fine with her dance performance, she could not be offered a major role because of her language problem.

“Her language is the only barrier for a leading role,” he said.

Gobinda Kalita, the dance director of the Raas festival, said it was amazing the way Rebecca has picked up Sattriya dance so well in such a short period.

“It is only a week now that she has been with us and she has picked up the finer points of the dance,” he said.

He said the French girl had never missed a single rehearsal since the day she arrived.