Gurgaon relives classical dances in two-day fest

Dancers from states such as Odisha, Manipur, Haryana, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka participated in Gurgaon Kala Utsav.

Art enthusiasts were enthralled by the performances of artistes during the two-day cultural show at Rangbhoomi Open Air Theatre, Sector 29, that ended Sunday. The event primarily comprised folk music and dance forms such as Odissi-Bhajami Vindhyavasini, Gotipua Nritya and Jago, also known as Manipuri dance.

Artistes perform Kuchipudi during the Gurgaon Kala Utsav at Rangbhoomi Open Air Theatre on Sunday.(Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Residents who attended the show were of the opinion that the dance forms made them realise there was no alternative to traditional music and folk culture. Vandana Sharma of South City 1 said, “The set and the artistes created a mesmerising effect. I visited the first day and enjoyed different forms of dance.”

Currently, the city has no cultural centre after the Epicentre was shut down temporarily in January following the expiry of its lease.

Naina Munjal of Ardee City said, “These kind of cultural evenings make the city alive. Children get to know about the different traditional dance forms that they have only read about in books.”

Dancers from states such as Odisha, Manipur, Haryana, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka participated in the event.

Festival director of Gurgaon Kala Utsav, Vani Madhav, who presented Odissi said the festival aims to spread awareness about the different forms of traditional dance.

“People were able to experience Odissi, Gotipua dance and Manipuri dance on the first day. On the second day, they were able to enjoy Kuchipudi dance of Andhra Pradesh, and traditional Haryavni folk music and dance,” Madhav said.

Apart from folk music and dance, the event also featured regional cuisines. As many as 10 stalls from different states, including Gujrat and Odisha, were set up.

The two-day event was organised by Nritya Dhara, a Gurgaon-based Odissi Dance Institute, and Ashray, a non-profit socio-cultural organisation, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).