Artistes perform at the Sangam dance concert at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 25: Different classical dance forms had the audience captivated at the Sangam dance concert held on Wednesday evening in the capital.

Organised by Art Vision, the seventh edition of the annual cultural event held at Rabindra Mandap was a delightful blend of Odissi and Kathak.

Dedicating the event to the gurus who revived and popularised the traditional dance forms, the evening featured well-known Odissi dancer Illeana Citaristi’s choreography. Students from Illeana’s dance school, Art Vision, presented a piece depicting the pranks played by Lord Krishna to win back the heart of an upset Radha.

Adapted from a script written by Baba Vaishna Charan Das and Mohan Sunder Dev Goswami, the dance-drama Mana Bhanjana revolved around emotions that ranged from pain of being hurt by one’s beloved as well as humour when Lord Krishna tries to appease Radha by playing an alata seller and then a female florist.

Saswat Joshi played a vivacious Krishna while Pallavi Beriha depicted an annoyed Radha. Illeana herself enacted Lalita, a close friend of Radha.

The veteran dancer played the character with ease and surprised viewers with her effortless abhinaya even while not playing the lead in the dance drama.

Laxmikant Palit composed the music to the recital.

“We worked hard for this new production and it was heartening to see that the viewers loved it,” said Illeana.

The Kathak rendition by artistes from Padatik dance centre, Calcutta, was another highlight of the evening.

Presenting Jhalkiyan, choreographed by Chetna Jalan, the artistes started off with a slow thaat and later moved on to tehai and pehran that picked up the pace of the rendition.

The repertoire included an array of expressions combined with vibrant movements. The audience applauded the performances.

“The tale of Lord Krishna’s bond with the gopis was touching as well as entertaining. The Kathak performance was also captivating,” said Anupama Nayak, a viewer.

“We present two styles of dance every year wherein our group and another classical dance team showcase their latest productions,” said Illeana, the organiser of the concert.