Vidha Lal (top) and Rashmi Raj perform at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 14: Classical dancers from India and abroad combined aesthetics and spirituality at the Devdasi National Dance Festival that concluded at Rabindra Mandap in the capital on Friday evening.

Dance enthusiasts in the city witnessed fascinating performances at the festival in which the dancers depicted union of the divine with the human. The Kathak recital by danseuse Vidha Lal gave a vibrant started the second evening of the dance extravaganza that had begun on Wednesday. Her postures and steps, especially in the piece Varsha Mangal, won her applause from the audience.

The Odissi sequence by Rashmi Raj from Nrityagram, Bangalore, was another presentation of a Mahakali stotra, portraying the supremacy of the goddess.

Mohiniattam by Akshara Mohan Das from Kerala was a captivating portrayal of the moral values and composure upheld by the mythological hero, Lord Rama. Odissi dancer Sunita Sahoo’s Ashabari Pallavi was a recital with pure dance movements. She also presented an abhinaya based on Radha Krishna love.

Another highlight of the evening was Probal Gupta’s Kathakali performance based on Lord Vishnu’s avatar. Although differing in themes, all recitals presented the feelings of devotion and divinity.

“Each of the artistes was stunning. The performances were remarkable owing to the spiritual themes they portrayed,” said Manas Ranjan Samal, a viewer.

On the concluding evening on Friday, USA based Bharat Natyam dancer Mythili Prakash presented a repertoire. She presented compositions that varied from invocation of the divine to tales from mythology. The dancer was given the Devdasi Award this year.

“I’m humbled on having been awarded with the honour. I wish to continue performing till my last breath,” said Prakash. The performances of Saswati Garai Ghosh (Odissi), Prateeksha Kashi (Kuchipudi) and Sitara Thobani (Odissi) received rave response from the viewers.

“Odissi has reached every corner of the world. It was amazing to see delightful performances from Odissi dancers of outer states and even from countries like Peru and Canada,” said Monalisa Das, a viewer.

Organiser Jagabandhu Jena from Devdasi Nrutya Mandir said that the festival focused on temple ritual dances that are the base of all classical dance forms of the country. “The history and spiritual content of all classical dance forms were explored in the festival. We also featured Mahari dance, which is a special dance form hailing from the Jagannath temple. Next year, the event will feature many more promising artistes,” said Jena.

the Jagannath temple. Next year, the event will feature many more promising artistes,” said Jena.