13-day classical dance festival kicks off next week

A 13-day dance festival, beginning November 26, will showcase the classical dance forms of India. Titled Kalanadam, it is currently in its 25th edition. It is the annual festival of Narthan Academy of Dance and Music (NADAM), which is located in Malleswaram.

“The first edition of the festival was held in the year 2000. Back then there were barely a handful of platforms for classical dance. It began as a three-day festival, then we extended it to six days. Now, as it’s the 25th year, we were keen on hosting something more elaborate and extensive,” says Nandini Mehta, founding director of the school.

Over 100 dancers are expected to perform across four venues in the city. Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, and less-known styles such as Andhra Natyam, Sattriya and Vilasini Natya are some of the dance forms that will be showcased in the festival.

Andhra Natyam (to be performed by Srinivasan Rajendran on December 4 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, J C Road) is a 2,000-year-old classical temple dance, while Sattriya (by Anita Sharma on November 29 at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Vasanthnagar) is said to have originated in the 15th century in the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam. Vilasini Natya, on the other hand, can be traced back to 10th century Andhra Pradesh. Originally performed by devadasis, it had fallen out of favour over the centuries. Attempts were made to revive it in the 1990s. Anupama Kylash will take the stage at Ravindra Kalakshetra on December 2 to showcase this dance form.

A Chhau and a Yakshagana performance are also part of the line-up. The former will be performed by Shashadhar Acharya and group on December 2 at Ravindra Kalakshetra. The semi-classical form from West Bengal blends martial arts and folk traditions. Dancers are typically clad in elaborate masks and headgear, while their movements borrow from elements of combat, animal gait and village life. The pieces recreate stories from the ‘Mahabharata’, the ‘Ramayana’, and folklore.

The Yakshagana performance will be staged by Idagunji Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali led by Keremane Shivananda Hegde on December 7 at Ravindra Kalakshetra.

Some of the other highlights include a Bharatantayam performance by actor Vidhya Subramanian on December 7 and a Bharatanatyam and Kathak jugalbandhi by NADAM Ensemble on November 30.

NADAM was set up in 1995 by Nandini and K Murali Mohan. While both the founding directors are well-known Kathak exponents, Nandini is also trained in Bharatanatyam. The academy specialises in Kathak, Bharatanatyam and classical music.

The dance festival is in aid of Swavalambana Angavikalara Seva Charitable Trust, located in Kengeri. The organisation was set up by a blind couple to offer support and shelter to the destitute and orphans with disabilities.

November 26 to December 8. Across multiple venues. Tickets online. For details, contact 99014 90110.