Dancing with the amateurs

Picture this. A dance festival in the Capital where ordinary people from all over the world, and not prim-and-proper professional dancers, perform the many different forms of Indian classical dance. Quite a show, no?

Picture this. A dance festival in the Capital where ordinary people from all over the world, and not prim-and-proper professional dancers, perform the many different forms of Indian classical dance. Quite a show, no?

HT Image

Indhradhanush Delhi, a three-day dance festival, looks to promote young enthusiasts who love performing arts but don’t earn their daily bread and butter through performances.

The gala, a part of Sunaina (Society for Upliftment of Arts in India) will be entering into the sixth year this time, with participants from all over the world.

Natalia Dits, 30, who will be performing Kathak at the show, says, “I relate myself with this dance form and it is just impossible for me to imagine my life without it. I am super excited to perform in front of the audience.”

The festival, held annually during the Mahasakranti festival, focuses on individuals who are professionally involved somewhere, where dancing is a strict no-no. “This annual festival began in 2008 in a bid to encourage youngsters who don’t belong to families of professional classical and folk dancers, but have talent and passion for the art,” says Kanaka Sudhakar, founder president of Sunaina.

This year, the event will also include a seminar titled the ‘Effects of youth on classical dances and the effects of classical dances on young practitioners’, with speakers from media, youth and exponents to discuss the topic.

Classical and how!

What: Indradhanush Dance Festival

When: January 12 to

January 14; 6pm onwards

Where: Azad Bhawan Auditorium, ITO

NEAREST METRO STATION: Pragati Maidan on the Blue Line