(From top) Aruna Mohanty and Delhi-based Anjana Gouhar and Ashok Ghosal perform at Margi dance festival in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 11: The rendezvous of young and veteran Odissi dancers enthralled aficionados of the dance form on Wednesday at the concluding evening of the Margi dance festival.

The two-day festival showcased innovative compositions of well-known gurus, performed in the form of solo, duet and group repertoires.

The evening began with danseuse Aruna Mohanty’s impressive solo Odissi recital. She presented a graceful abhinaya with intricate movements and rhythmic co-ordination between facial expressions and motion of the feet. The composition cast a spell on the audience for its moving theme and beautiful execution.

Delhi-based Odissi danseuse Ranjana Gauhar, who had performed a solo on Tuesday, presented a duet with dancer Ashok Ghoshal, the director of Nrutyashala, the dance institute that organised the festival. The duo received appreciation from the crowd. “It was amazing to see the performance of veteran dancers in form of a duet. It was a beautiful composition,” said Smrutipriya Sahoo, a viewer.

The last presentation was interesting. The innovative composition presented by artistes from the Orissa Dance Academy received rave response. Choreographed by Aruna Mohanty, the music for the recital was composed by Sumant Mohanty. “Patriotism is one’s love for the Motherland. But in a diverse country like India, it is important to include one’s regards for the state as well as the nation. Accordingly, the composition has been given both shades,” said Aruna Mohanty.

This group repertoire revolved around patriotism, both regional and national. The transition of the choreography from Bande Utkal Janani, that represented the love for Orissa, to Bande Mataram, that was dedicated to national patriotism, was impressive.

The recital was a dance ballet, titled Swargadapi Gariyasi. The audience seemed to be touched by the vibrant performance.

“Everything about the sequence, starting from the use of the stage to the movements and steps of the dancers, was remarkable,” said Prabir Naik, a viewer.

“It is an innovative concept that dance is used to infuse patriotism. I loved the idea and the performance,” said Sruti Paramita, another viewer.

The highlight of the festival was the felicitation to eminent mardala guru, Banamali Moharana.