Naman Returns to enthrall Bengaluru’s Odissi Dance Lovers again

Posted on Aug 3 2014 - 7:56pm by IBC News

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble

Living up to its reputation of bringing the best of Odissi dance to city’s ardent art lovers, Bengaluru’s very own Odissi dance festival, NAMAN, is back with its 5th edition. City’s premier Odissi dance institution, Nrityantar will hold its 5th annual Odissi dance festival, NAMAN 2014 on Sunday, August 17, 2014 at ADA Rangamandira, J C Road, Bengaluru

A highlight of Bengaluru’s rich & growing cultural calendar, the hugely popular event NAMAN is one classical dance festival, most art lovers eagerly wait for, as it offers sumptuous array of finest Odissi dance performances. The festival is a humble initiative by Bengaluru-based Odissi dance institution, Nrityantar, to bring together and showcase varied styles and schools of Odissi dance. ‘Naman’, literally meaning ‘salutation’, is a tribute to the Guru, the visible embodiment of God. The festival pays rich tributes to great gurus of Odissi dance for their invaluable contributions in the growth and popularisation of this extremely elegant art. An event where audiences not only get the opportunity to experience beauty, richness & nuances of different styles & schools of Odissi dance by its finest exponents but they also enjoy and appreciate contributions & works of the great gurus & pioneers.

With fully packed & over-flowing halls, the festival has been very well received by everyone in its previous editions and has featured some of the biggest names in the field, like Aruna Mohanty, Sangeeta Dash and Bijayni Satapathy. In its 5th year now, NAMAN that was inaugurated by renowned Odissi guru, Guru Gangadhar Pradhan in the year 2010, has grown as one of the most sought after Odissi dance events in the country.

Graceful: Leena Mohanty

With soft, lyrical and graceful movements to lilting tunes and resonating beats of the mardala, dancers promise to transport viewers to the enchanted delight of spiritual ecstasy and divine bliss. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar awardee from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, Leena Mohanty from Bhubaneswar, will delight everyone with clarity & precision of her dance. Artistes from the internationally acclaimed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble from Bengaluru, regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India, will surely enthrall everyone with their captivating moves, powerful imagery, exceptional synchronicity & seamless symmetry. Daughter and disciple of the Odissi maestro Guru Harekrishna Behera and one of the leading exponents of Odissi dance in India today, Kavita Dwibedi from Delhi, will spellbind viewers with the diversity & versatility of her art & her powerful abhinaya.

The performances will start promptly at 5:30 pm with Leena Mohanty, followed by Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Kavita Dwibedi. The evening performances will be preceded by an engaging panel discussion at 3:30 pm with senior gurus, dancers, scholars, dance enthusiasts, aspirants and experts on ‘Odissi outside Odisha – dancing in cultural diversity to pluralism’.

The event is a must-see for all art-lovers across the city.

All are invited.

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