Bhubaneswar, June 7: Dance enthusiasts here have had the unique experience of watching a group of youngsters perform Bharatnatyam on wheelchairs.

Differently-abled artistes shared the stage with young and veteran dancers at the three-day dance festival Guru Dakshina, organised by Kalashrama, under the aegis of Odissi dancer Nityanand Das.

The complete adavu (steps), jathi (combination of advus), thirmanams (sequence of pure rhythmic dance composed of adavu-jathis) were reinvented on wheels and performed with absolute precision.

The young dancers from a Delhi-based dance group turned their disabilities into their greatest abilities. The group has performed at major dance festivals in the country and abroad, including the House of Commons and Rashtrapati Bhavan. Under the guidance of choreographer and dancer Syed Salauddin, their Bharatnatyam performances were an inspiration for everyone.

For the audience, the performances were emotionally uplifting. "It was great to see their dedication. It is wonderful to watch them perform," said Archana Patnaik, a member of the audience.

Nityanand Das dances on one foot. He lost his right leg in a road accident. Inspired by the art form since childhood, he learnt Odissi in the age-old guru-shishya tradition from Bimbadhara Das. Earlier, he was a jatra (traditional play) artiste and had performed on stage for six years till 1991.

After the accident, Bimbadhar Das encouraged him to continue with his passion. "My guru gave me strength. He said: "If a snake can move swiftly without the help of legs and the wind could go anywhere although it has no form, I can surely dance on one leg."