Shallu Jindal performs at the dance festival in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: The connoisseurs of art appreciated the performances on the concluding evening of Devdasi National Dance Festival.

The three-day festival that had seen brilliant dance recitals on the first two days, witnessed a full house on the closing day at Rabindra Mandap.

The final evening began with presentation of awards to eminent dancers of various dance forms.

Veteran dancer Sujata Mohapatra received the Devdasi award for Odissi while Rupashree Mohapatra was given the award for Mahari.

Awards were also conferred upon Shallu Jindal for Kuchipudi, Rama Vaidyanathan for Bharatnatyam, Jayaprabha Menon for Mohini Attam, Vidha Lal for Kathak, Anita Sharma for Sattriya, Kottakkal Devadas for Kathakali and Sohini Ray for Manipuri.

Shallu Jindal from New Delhi set the tone for the final evening with her Kuchipudi recital. She showcased the Dasavatra or the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The disciple of Raja Reddy also presented the thali dance.

“She was looked really graceful on the thali. Dancing with so much elegance and ease with your feet on the edges of the metal plate is definitely a challenge,” said Kunjalata Dash, an audience member.

Odissi dancer Natalie Rout from London was another highlight of the evening. Though she could present only a Pallavi or pure dance item, the student of Ratikant and Sujata Mohapatra showcased as graceful movements as her gurus. “I am glad to be here in Odisha to perform Odissi. It is always a delight to perform in my hometown. I will be back in December for another performance,” said the young dancer.

Kathak danseuse Vidha Lal also gave an impressive performance while Japanse Odissi dancer Akane Hashino was another delight to watch on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Sattriya by Anita Sharma, Manipuiri by Sohini Ray from the US, Mohini Attam by Jayaprabha Menon and Malaysian Odissi dancer Sandhya Manoj gave remarkable performances.

“We are glad that the festival has been receiving so much affection from viewers. Also, we are really glad that the dancers made it from all over the world to perform in the city,” said Jagabandhu Jena, organiser of the festival, which is in its eighth year.