Cuttack, Jan. 6: The weekend saw dance performances staged by artistes from India and abroad at the ongoing Cuttack Mahostav held at Kala Vikash Kendra in Cuttack.

A Kuchipudi performance by Kopal Vedam from UK was the centre of attraction on Sunday evening.

The artiste began with Shiva Keertana extolling Lord Shiv in the form of Nataraj and also presented Tarangam, a rhythmic performance.

The entire sequence was based on raga Arabi and was composed by Othukadu Venkata Suba Iyer.

Kathak by Richa Srivastav from Mumbai also won appreciation. Starting with Angikan Bhuvanam, followed by teen taal, Richa concluded with an abhinayam describing the feelings of a Sakhi after meeting Lord Krishna.

Earlier, a Kathakali performance by Kalamandalam Aravinda from Kerela left the audiences spellbound on the fourth evening of the ongoing festival on Saturday.

The artiste in his unique style of presentation depicted the strong character of Bhim in Mahabharat.

His depiction of the interaction between Bhim and Yudhishtir while showcasing the mythological plot of Kaurava Binasha was appreciated.

Apart from Kathakali, the audience also appreciated a Kuchipudi performance by V. Soumyashree on the occasion. She began with Mudugari that depicted the love of mother Yasodha for her son Krishna.

Later, the artiste performed Tarangam, which was a small item written by Narayan Tirtha.

The artiste displayed her unique talent by dancing to the tunes on a brass plate that left everyone in awe.

“We were quite amazed by the performance as we hardly get opportunity to witness such extraordinary performance in the millennium city,” said Ganesh Swain, an audience.

The Cuttack Mahotsav which has entered its fifth edition is being organised by Utkal Yuva Sanskrutik Sangha will conclude on January 8. The festival has so far witnessed rich display of Indian classical dance forms.

“We have been trying to showcase the rich ‘guru sishya parampara’ and at the same time providing a right platform for aspiring artistes to showcase their talent,” said organising secretary Kartik Rath.