The Old Fort Dance Festival, till recently known as the Ananya Festival of Seher Foundation was this year organised by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of the Government of Delhi, from October 8 to 12. From Pandit Birju Maharaj to Madhavi Mudgal, to Leela Samson, Raja and Radha Reddy and Bharati Shivaji, the who’s who of the dance world performed this year. The first day Bharati Shivaji took the stage with her Mohiniattam group and presented a dance-drama based on ‘Bhanushinger Padavali’, one of the earliest and most unique works of Rabindranath Tagore. The entire dance-drama was done with finesse and both the guru and students are to be lauded for producing such a gem on stage.
The second evening was sheer class and elegance personified. Leela Samson with her Spanda Dance Company presented an evening of Bharatanatyam which had fire within it but also a graceful glow of peace emanating out from deep within each of the dancers. Set to excellent music, the evening began with Bhaskarayanamah, an obeisance to the Sun. The idea of this piece was, for the dancer to energise herself and also share the power of the Sun with the audience.
Next performance was Varnam-Aattkolla Vendum in which the dancers appeal to the clouds, the parrot and the conch to deliver their message to the Lord of their yearning. One other piece worth mentioning is Kalabhairava Ashtakam. Although it was in praise of the fearsome aspect of Shiva, surprisingly instead of seeing wide glaring eyes, raised eyebrows and lolling tongue, one saw this piece full of elegance and lasya and was absolutely mesmerised.
Raja and Radha Reddy presented their piece de resistance Bharata Bharathi the next evening. They depicted through the medium of Kuchipudi dance the entire conceptual being of Bharat Mata and the vision they have for the country in times to come. Their magnum opus was successful in bringing life to the essence of Indian culture and art, particularly dance before the eyes of the rasikas.
Next evening when Madhavi Mudgal took the stage with her group to give renditions in Odissi, absolute splendour and sophistication trickled down and satiated the rasikas. Although the dancer has been bestowed with innumerable awards, her dance portrayed a mystical humble aura which best suited the medium of Odissi. Beginning with Ganga Stavan, the dancers evoked blessings of the river goddess Ganga and described her majestic descent on earth. Next performance was an abstract dance piece called Vadya Vaividhya in which Madhavi Mudgal brought together various percussion instruments like khol, khanhani, ghanta, mardala and more. Teevra Madhyam and Madhurashtakam were a few other pieces performed. Special mention should be made for Madhup Mudgal, who set most of the dancer’s music and what music it was! Mellifluousness personified.
The concluding evening was reserved for the living legend Pandit Birju Maharaj and his group. One always falls short of words to describe Maharaji’s prowess, and his group was equally deft and managed to live up to his name. They performed a dance-drama called Prakriti Manoram. Aptly named, it portrays the celebration of nature all around us. This piece was based on describing the myriad of images of flora and fauna, taking inspiration from works of several poets of different languages the group managed to capture the sublime creation in their own grand manner.
“The repertoire of Indian classical dances represents centuries of culture and tradition that has been preserved and sustained by generations of devoted exponents and earnest artists. Across the globe, Indian classical dance forms are appreciated and loved by dance lovers. Such festivals help extend the reach of classical dance forms to not just connoisseurs of dance but also to common people,” said Maharaj.
Amidst resounding applause for the artistes, the curtain fell on this year’s festival and one truly hopes that the next year would be equally grand.
