Bhubaneswar, Dec. 17: Douglas Ridings of the US is as excited as Mio Ikeda of Japan to be here this weekend for a special get together.

The duo are among around 300 Odissi dancers from across the globe who will take part in the annual meet, titled the Odissi International, to celebrate the dance form.

The five-day fest will begin on Sunday at the Bhanja Kala Mandap.

Hosted by Samskritiki, a 25-year-old cultural organisation, in collaboration with various Odissi dance institutes of the world, the sixth edition of Odissi International will see participation by artistes from 13 countries. Dancers from countries such as Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, the US and Ukraine and about 10 states of India will take part in the event.

Known better as the annual union of the global Odissi family in the home of the classical dance form, the festival will begin with a special performance by a five-year-old.

"Five-year-old Shrinika from Bangalore, who is considered the Wonder Kid of Odissi as she has been dancing from the age of three and is incredibly perfect in expressions and movements, will open the event with her performance," said organiser Shyamhari Chakra.

The festival is dedicated to the last Mahari ( devdasi) of Puri Jagannath temple, Sashimani Devi, who passed away earlier this year, said Chakra. The Mahari dance is considered to have spurred the development of Odissi.

Choreographies of Pankaj Charan Das, revered as the Adi Guru or the first guru of Odissi, will be the focus of the festival this year.

Ratna Roy from the US, a disciple of the Adi Guru, will present a number of his lesser-performed compositions along with her students and the Urvasi Odissi Ensemble. Roy will be conferred with the lifetime achievement award during the festival for her pioneering contribution to Odissi, said Chakra.

The festival not only encourages the dancers to discover the cultural roots of the dance form, but also intends to promote cultural tourism and foster friendship among people of various countries and cultures.

The artistes from abroad are excited to share the stage with dancers from Odisha. "I have been here before, and I had loved the experience. I am looking forward to performing in Bhubaneswar," said Singapore-based dancer Reeti Rajguru.