Ileana Citaristi performs to pay tribute to Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 8: Unique choreographies by legendary Odissi guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra, were showcased on the occasion of his eighth death anniversary on Saturday evening in the city at Rabindra Mandap.

The dance concert titled ‘Remembering Guruji’ was organised by city-based Odissi institute Art Vision to pay homage to the legend.

Danseuse Ileana Citaristi had started the event five years ago in which senior disciples of Mohapatra take the stage and present exclusive compositions by the late guru on a particular theme every year. It was some pure dance choreographies by him that captivated the viewers this year as noted dancers performed one after another.

The evening began with the screening of a documentary on the life and works of the guru. The video of his rendition of Dinabandhu ei ali sri chhamure took the viewers to a trance that reminded the Odissi enthusiasts of the guru’s powerful stage presence. Soon, special choreographies were rendered by the senior disciples of Mohapatra.

Ileana herself presented a classic Champu designed by her guru, that involved elaborate and intricate dance movements as well expressive facial gestures. The Gatibheda Pallavi, a remarkable composition by Mohapatra that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of Odissi dance through elegant steps, was performed by well-known dancer and one of his leading disciples Meera Das along with Muktilata Pal and Manoranjan Pradhan. The pure dance item was a delight to watch for the dance aficionados.

A number of solo and group sequences based on Radha-Krishna romance were then presented by senior dancers such as Sikata Das, Pranati Mohanty, Nandini Ghoshal, Itishree Dwivedi and many leading dancers from Mohapatra’s dance school Srjan. A houseful audience witnessed and applauded the performances.

“Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra will always be the pride of the state for his contribution to Odissi dance. The documentary shown today proved why we miss him so much. He was a great dancer and human being and his disciples who have today turned into top dancers, presented a wonderful repertoire that was a collage of his best compositions,” said Barnali Swain, a dance lover.