The 15th edition of the annual all-India classical dance festival Vysakhi Nrityotsav, is set to kickstart in Visakhapatnam. The three-day festival organised by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy (NMDA) will be held at Kalabharati auditorium and will feature performances by noted artistes from across India. As many as eight dance forms by 16 artistes will be presented.
Padma Shri awardees Kamalini and Nalini Asthana, Kathak dancer duo from Agra, will be performing on the inaugural day on September 15. They represent the Banaras Gharana of Kathak, known for its graceful and fluid movements, intricate footwork, and subtle expressions that focus on expressive storytelling.
Apart from Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi, the festival will showcase Sambhalpuri folk dance and Mayurbhanj Chau from Odisha and Perini Nrithyam, an ancient dance form from Telangana. Others include performances by Andhra Natyam exponent Kala Krishna, Chitrangada dance drama by Nandita Banerjee from West Bengal and Mohiniyattam by Chithra Sukumaran and Sree Mudra Kala Gurukulam, Kerala.
Vysakhi Nrityotsav was started by B R Vikram Kumar, founder of NMDA, in 2008. “The main objective of the festival is to make it an annual cultural event in the calender year of the Port City. This year, 18 Kuchipudi dancers (below 18 years of age) from various dance institutes of Visakhapatnam have been selected to give a performance on the inaugural day. This is a great platform for the budding dancers to showcase their talent in front of the stalwarts in the field of Indian dance,” says Vikram Kumar.
Entry is free for the three-day festival to be held from September 15 to 17 at Kalabharati auditorium. The performances will begin from 6.20pm.
