Bhubaneswar, March 27: Two-day dance festival Nrutyarpana concluded at Ekamra Haat here today. The festival aimed to promote rare dance forms of the state.

On the inaugural evening, artistes from Dasabhuja Nrutya Parishad of Chandanpur gave an impressive display of Gotipua, the traditional art form that originated in Puri. With swift feet movements and lively gesture, the artistes showcased their command over the art form.

The acrobatics presented on the stage left the audience mesmerised.

This was followed by a Chhau dance recital by artistes from Dakshinasahi Nrutya Mandir.

The dancers with their unique muscle movements and rhythmic twirls in the air enthralled the audience.

The troupe focused on bringing mythological episodes and spiritual themes to life through their performance.

Chhau dance is usually performed in villages to mark the Chaitra parva festival during the concluding days of the month of Chaitra. Popular stories from Ramayan and Mahabharat are staged.

On the last day,artistes of a cultural group from Narendrapur presented jodi sankha, which is a unique dance form that combines musical instruments and dance movements. In jodi sankha, the artistes display various physical movements while blowing conches. The modulation produced by the artistes with the conch was quite amusing.

Odissi dance recitals presented by the artistes of Rudrakshya dance group stood out.

'It is good to know that our state boasts of so many dance forms. The artistes were quite expressive,' said Sunanda Behera, a member of the audience.

The festival was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Kalinga Association for Protection of Culture and Heritage.