Young dancers perform at the Gotipua Festival in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 15: Solo and group dance recitals by both young and veteran Gotipua dancers have left one and all mesmerised at a festival organised here.

Gotipua, the traditional folk dance form of Odisha, always makes for a visual treat. The Aradhana Dance Academy showcased this dance form at the festival that came to an end at Jayadev Bhavan yesterday.

The third edition of the annual dance festival gave aficionados a lot to cherish.

The host team staged the inaugural performance, depicting the love story between Lord Krishna and Radha. The boys, dressed in saris and beaded ornaments, performed backbreaking acrobatics with élan.

“Gotipua is one of the classical dance forms of India and is a precursor to Odissi. The boys have been imparted painstaking training for years. Despite the best efforts from the gurus and the young artistes, it lacks due recognition because of lack of proper patronage,” said Chitrasen Swain, secretary of the academy.

It is believed that after decline of Mahari or the Devdasi tradition, Gotipua came into being in the 16th century.

Gotipua in Odia means “single boy”. A veteran in the field, Bhagirathi Mohapatra, showcased his sheer command over the art form with swift feet movements and enlivening gestures. A documentary on the dance form was also screened on the occasion.

A number of exciting dance recitals had also been lined up for day two. Teams from city-based dance schools such as Odissi Dance Academy, Swagatika Dance Academy and Guru Lingraj Barik Dance Academy took part in the cultural soiree and presented some alluring presentations.

Poetry from Gita Govinda, Odia bhajans and shlokas made for appealing music.

Members of the audience had a gala time. “Gotipua is a very exciting dance form. The acrobatics keep you glued to the action on stage. What the young boys do at a tender age is really remarkable. The festival presented colourful repertoires,” said Pratha Samal, who watched the performances.

Several female folk dancers, too, regaled the viewers at the festival. Also, many veteran classical dancers were felicitated at the festival.