Puducherry-based eminent Odissi exponent and Odia film actress Sangeeta Dash, along with well-known Kathak exponents, the Bhatt couple – Raghav Raj & Mangala, Vanaja Uday, who heads the department of dance at the PS Telugu University, and Preeti Mohapatra, Hyderabad-based senior Odissi dancer, cheered 40 young dancers at the second edition of the Hyderabad Odissi Utsaav (HOU) at Lamakaan recently.
Central and State Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, and guest artist of Hyderabad Odissi Utsaav, Sangeeta Dash performed ‘Yahi Madhav Yahii Keshava’, wherein she brilliantly performed the agony of Radha, where she waits the arrival of Krishna, but who doesn’t appear, but when he does, she expresses her heavy heart.
Under the tutelage of Guru Preeti Mohapatra, Akshita Mohapatra, who has emerged as a talented and dedicated member of the Nrityashala ensemble, held the audience captivated with her performances. Usually, an Odissi presentation consists of Mangalacharana, Sthai, Pallavi, Abhinaya and Mokshya. However, the Asthasambhu dance form belongs to the Abhinaya stage.
Debashree Patnaik of Nirmalya Odissi Academy presented Pallavi in Raag Basant, Taal Ek Taali, which was a pure dance item in which the dancer displayed lovely eye movements, body postures and intricate footwork. Beginning slowly, the dancer caught the tempo and the pulse of the rasikas.
Purnima Piyali, presented Kavi Venkateswar’s piece set in Raga Malkosh and Taal Tripata, and tuned by Guru Ramahari Das, choreographed by Guru Dr. Deba Prasad Das, to express the Abhinaya eloquently.
Sanjukta Ghosh brought out the Tandava and Lasya in the Shiva Parvati Shabda composed by Odissi dancer Sharmila Biswas. It is true that Tandava and Lasya are equal and contrasting and complement each other.
Youngsters Saesha Mishra and Tanvi Upasana presented Namami, choreographed by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, where the dancers invoke Lord Ganesha and pray to Him to remove all the obstacles in their path. Apart from HOU guest artiste Sangeeta Dash, Hyderabad-based senior dancers like Debashree Patnaik, Priyanka Mishra, Sanjukta Ghosh, Arpita Pani, Varsha Panda were among 40 dancers who took part in the Odissi dance event.