Bhubaneswar, April 23: Cultural organisation Rudraksh Foundation held its fourth annual event Ninaad at Rabindra Mandap on Monday evening.

About hundred students of the foundation presented a medley of colourful classical and folk dance recitals on the occasion.

The cultural rendezvous began with paying obeisance to Lord Vishnu through a mangalacharan act of Odissi dance. The movements of young dancers on the soulful chants of Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam were a treat to watch. The next performance was Sthayee, a pure dance on raga Mohana and Ek taal.

The dancers displayed the gestures and movements with finesse. Their poise during the fast movements enthralled one and all. Both the recitals were based on the choreography of Guru Pankaj Charan Das and were directed by choreographers Lingraj Pradhan and Pabitra Kumar Pradhan respectively.

The subsequent act was a pallavi performed on raga Basant. This too consisted of pure dance movements based on the choreography of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.

Synonymous with Sthayee and Battu Nrutya, another form of pure dance involving intricate movements was presented in the following act. The dancers posed as sculptures playing classical musical instruments such as veena (lute), mardala or pakhawaj (drum), karatala (cymbals) and venu (flute), the act highlighted the relationship between the ancient dance form and the dance sculptures adorning the temples in Odisha.

The most heart-warming act of the evening was a folk dance performed by the little dancers of the institute. Draped in yellow saris with marigold garlands fastened around their arms, the dancers with their synchronised movements regaled the audience.

The concluding act of the evening was a dance drama presentation recounting the story of river Ganga’s descent to the Earth.

Though the act narrated the story of Bhagiratha’s endeavours to bring river Ganga, but the act ultimately sends out the message that the humans overlook Ganga and she regrets her decision to come down to the Earth.

The musicians for the evening were Sachikanta Nayak, Prasant Kumar Pradhan, Sursarita Rout and Tapaswini Dagara. “Ninaad means reverberation. In a scenario, where western dance forms are catching the imagination of the youngsters, we wish to keep blowing the bugle of our rich heritage,” said Guru Bichitrananda Swain, founder director of Rudraksh Foundation.