Dance, heritage come alive at Sunder Nursery this weekend
A three-day festival from April 18 will see eight major Indian classical dance forms — Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Sattriya
New Delhi: From the fierce footwork of Bharatanatyam and the dreamy sway of Mohiniyattam, to the sculptural grace of Odissi, and the vibrant drama of Kathakali — complete with bold makeup, expressive eyes, and commanding gestures — India’s classical dance heritage has taken centre stage at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery this weekend in celebration of World Dance Day and World Heritage Day.
Abutting the iconic Humayun’s Tomb, the garden amphitheatre at Sunder Nursery has kicked off a three-day festival from April 18, jointly organised by Spic Macay, The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and Sudha Sangini NGO.
Audiences will be treated to performances of eight major Indian classical dance forms — Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Sattriya.
Friday saw Vidushi Madhavi Mudgal and Vidushi Yamini Reddy perform Odissi and Kuchipudi, respectively. The opening ceremony was graced by Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh as the chief guest.
“It is a great honour for me to be a part of this occasion where we are celebrating the amalgamation of dance and heritage. I firmly believe our classical dance and music forms are the richest heritage that we have,” said Mudgal, who performed an Odissi repertoire signifying the Guru-Shishya tradition.
“I have been a part of Spicmacay for a long time. I wanted to represent the uniqueness of mine, through an old heritage Yakshaganam piece,” said Reddy.
Padma Shri awardees Shovana Narayan (Kathak), Bharati Shivaji (Mohiniyattam), and Geeta Chandran (Bharatanatyam) will take the stage on April 19 and 20. Adding to the cultural splendour will be Sinam Basu Singh and Konjengbam M. Devi (Manipuri), Thiruvattar B. Jagadeesan (Kathakali), and Anwesa Mahanta (Sattriya).
The event will also be graced by Raja and Radha Reddy, Padma Bhushan awardees for contributions to the Kuchipudi dance form, along with Kathak dancer and choreographer Uma Sharma.
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The festival is curated to preserve India’s artistic traditions and generate awareness among the younger generations about the culture and heritage of the country, convenor of the festival Suman Doonga said.
“Aga Khan Trust is delighted to celebrate both World Heritage Day and World Dance Day together here at Sunder Nursery, which houses 6 UNESCO World Heritage Monuments within itself,” CEO Aga Khan Trust for Culture Ratish Nanda said.
“To see 300 odd people gathered on a hot summer day to witness these performances is just heartwarming,” Nanda added.
