Bhubaneswar, Sept. 3: The classical dance form of the state — Odissi — is growing in popularity across the world.
Every year, artistes from all over the globe look forward to an opportunity that allows them to showcase their talent in Odisha during Odissi International — a dance festival that brings together artistes from all over the country and beyond.
The third edition of this annual communion of Odissi dancers will be held from December 19 to 22 this year. The festival will feature interesting new segments.
Participants hailing from 18 countries — Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malayasia, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the USA will perform at the festival. In its inaugural year, more than 150 artistes danced to the steps of Odissi, while last year the number increased to 220.
Dance enthusiasts from Samskritiki, a two-decade-old city-based cultural organisation, which organises the event, hoped that the festival will see more participation this year. “We have received many more applications this year compared to the last two years. It is wonderful to see that Odissi has a strong popularity across the globe and most artistes want to dance in Odisha, the home of Odissi. We will try to give a spot to as many dancers as possible since the purpose of the festival is to bring Odissi dancers under one roof,” said Shyamhari Chakra, the designer of the dance festival.
A few changes have been made this year, he said. “Earlier we used to organise the festival at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya mini auditorium. But because of heavy footfall we will be organising the event at Rabindra Mandap this year to accommodate more viewers. Also, as a result of unavailability of the auditorium, it will be a four-day and not five-day event,” said Chakra.
A special segment — an international Odissi Talent Search — will be conducted as part of the event. Dancers from any country aged below 30 can compete for top 10 positions in this contest. The jury will consist of eminent dancers.
The festival was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in 2010 and the state culture and tourism department last year.
