Participants at the musical and dance evening of M-Zone Academy in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: Students of M-Zone Academy showcased their prowess in traditional and western dance forms on Sunday evening at Utkal Mandap in the capital. The dance sequences stole the hearts of the huge audience gathered at the event.

The programme started with an Odissi item, Ganapati Vandana, presented by tiny tots of the academy. As the kids danced to the beats of the mardala (Odissi percussion instrument), their perfect sense of rhythm and co-ordination delighted the audience. The viewers broke into thunderous applause as a mark of appreciation for this beautiful vandana, or invocation of Lord Ganesh.

After offering prayers to the Lord, it was time for traditional dance performances presented by the dancers of the academy. Fifteen skilled dancers performed a graceful Shiva stuti. Though the big group had a little difficulty with its co-ordination, they stuck to the rhythm through the entire recital.

A solo Bharatnatyam dance performance also won appreciation. The dancer’s mudras, movement of eyes and near to perfect postures clearly reflected his dedication and love for the art form.

Western and contemporary dance was next in the line. Dancing to the popular hits of both old and latest Hindi film songs, the performers in white and sequined sparkling dresses sizzled the dance floor. From contemporary Hindi film thumkas, the show moved on to western recitals. It was then the turn for two of the most difficult and amusing western dance forms – Salsa and break dance. The twists and turns and intricate leg bends of Salsa were awe-inspiring. The Salsa dancers amused the audience with their leaps and bounces. As the show moved on to the break dance, many in the audience were seen breaking into a jig.

Siddhant Mohapatra, who was one of the guests of the evening, was seen tapping his feet to the western dance numbers. Audiences let out their appreciation through impromptu jigs and clapping.

“It was a beautiful Sunday evening. While watching the programme I felt like going on the stage and dancing with the performers. While Odissi has always been our forte, it was a pleasure to realise that we are excelling in western dance as well,” said college student Ritika Mohanty. For organisers of the programme, M-Zone, a dance academy in the city, it was an evening of anticipation and excitement as their students performed on the auditorium for the first time.

“This is the first time we have organised such a dance programme for our students and are absolutely overwhelmed to see such a positive reaction from the audience,” smiled organiser Pravata Kumar Rana.