Renowned danseuse Kripa Phadke of the city has embarked on a new mission to reach out to different sections of community through performing arts.
Her concept of ‘Dance for a Cause’ has taken her to orphanages, senior citizens’ homes and even the Mysuru Jail to introduce to a cross section of people, different aspects of classical and folk culture. This is in addition to conducting dance classes for students at the Nrityagiri Performing Arts and Research Centre.
“I dedicate 10 days a year with a focus on any institution and this year, about 50 students from Meghalaya — and all boys — are being imparted lessons in various forms of art,” said Ms. Phadke.
While it is impossible to teach classical art like Bharatnatyam, which takes yeas to master, the danseuse is striving to kindle interest in the art form among the community members through such workshops and focused attention.
The students from Meghalaya are being introduced to kolata, Kamsale and Kannada folk songs through which they are also able to pick up a smattering of Kannada, said Ms. Phadke. “I am using dance as a medium to approach the students, but the objective is to give them an introduction or a glimpse of classical culture,” said the danseuse.
After the conclusion of the workshop, the students will provided with a platform to showcase their talent in a competition.
