Photo Flash: Sneak Peek - NCPA Nakshtara Dance Festival's 5th Edition

Five different dance styles, six intriguing workshops, 50 plus dancers and one anticipated festival. The NCPA Centre for the Promotion of Arts and Culture Trust (CPAC) presents the fifth edition of Nakshatra Dance Festival 2013with the aim to exclusively feature group dance choreographies with stellar performances by world renowned Indian Classical dancers who have displayed startlingly contemporary sensibilities throughout their long careers. Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the dancers!

This ten day festival will witness a slew of captivating and electric group dance celebrations by India's well reputed dancers - Chitra Visweswaran, Uma Dogra, Sruti Bandopadhay, Ratikant Mohapatra and Sadanam Balakrishnanshowcasing different forms of dance such as Kathak, Manipuri, Bharatnatyam and Odissi.

The highlight for this edition and a proud moment for the NCPA is the performance by Bharatnatyam danseuse, Chitra Vishwesaran. Chitra will be seen performing after a very long time and is sure to be a treat to all dance lovers in the city. Yet another must watch is Shakespeare's play Othello that will be showcased in the form of dance by Sadanam Balakrishnan& troupe.

Apart from staging fine performances, the festival will engage with dance enthusiasts through unique workshopson dance scholarships conducted by learned scholars and dance scholarship holders to highlight the need of research for performers. The festival will also host an Odissi group dance choreography workshop by Ratikant Mohapatra, wherein the participants will be taught both versions of the same piece (Solo and group choreography). The aim is to not onlylearn new choreography, but also get an insight into the mind of the choreographer while creating a group dance.

Speaking on the occasion, Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, Head - Programming (Dance), says,"Over the years Mumbai has witnessed remarkable inclination towards Indian classical dance shows. Keeping the mounting interest in mind, this year we have slotted group performance along with enlightening workshops for our rising dancing stars. With this endeavour, we hope the festivalenthrals the audience thus encouraging us to undertake many such festivals in the coming years."

SCHEDULE:

Saturday, 19th

Kathakars of Jaipur

Kathak by Uma Dogra and the dancers of the School of Kathak

Tata Theatre; 6.30pm

One of the leading exponents of Kathak, Uma Dogra's work expresses the subtle distinction between the literal translation of lyrics and the mature, evolved transmutation of music into movements. Her dance is very traditional and classical, depicted in a language of strong self-expression.

Anubhuti: Bharatanatyam by ChitraVisweswaran& the dancers of Chidambaram Dance Academy

Tata Theatre; 7.30 pm.

Anubuthi commences with the unravelingof the mystic philosophy and concept of Ardhanareeshwara as Shiva and Shakti,Purusha and Prakriti, the yin and the yang within and without us;goes on to explore the multi moods of the multifaceted Shakti( Devi) and finallyengages with the search and realization of the Divine .

Anubhuti - an experience, in its myriad avataras, is presented by Chidambaram Dance Company; the professional performing repertory of Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts headed by SmtChitraVisweswaran has truly been & continues to be an experience in every sense of the word to every participant, the choreographer and the viewer.

Tickets:

Rs.375, 300 & 150/- (Members)

Rs.500, 400 & 200/- (Public)

Friday, 25th

Jaya JayaBhanu Jaya Jayadeva: Manipuri by Dr. SrutiBandopadhay& troupe

Experimental Theatre; 6.30 pm

Jaya JayaBhanu Jaya Jayadeva is based on the Vaishnava verses of Bhanusingha (BhanusingherPadabali by Rabindranath Tagore) and Jaideva (Gita Govinda). The theme of both the works is the undying love between Radhaand Krishna with the lyrics expressing the dilemma of Radha's longing. 'Dancing in the City' is a post-performance discussion with dancers from different cities on challenges and opportunities of being a dancer/teacher based in a city. It will be moderated by Dr. Sunil Kothari.

Tickets:

Rs.270 &180/- (Members)

Rs.300 & 200/- (Public)

Saturday, 26th

Nirjharini: A confluence of neo-classical choreography in Odissi by Guru RatikantMohapatra& the dancers of Srjan

Experimental Theatre; 7.00 pm

Nirjharini is a confluence of dances beginning with 'BhoShambho', a Sanskrit prayer composed by SwAmi DayanandaSaraswati, in devotion to Lord Shiva. It flows further with 'Hamsadhwani Pallavi' (a form of pure dance) and an abhinaya piece 'Jatayumoksham'. And then moves on to 'BhagwatiStotrum' finally concluding with 'Bishwas'

Tickets:

Rs.360 & 270/- (Members)

Rs.400 & 300/- (Public)

Sunday, 27th

Othello: Kathakali by SadanamBalakrishnan& troupe

Experimental Theatre; 6.30pm

SadanamBalakrishnan recomposed Shakespeare's Othello in Malayalam to create a Kathakali production based on it. Having received some criticism initially, Othello is, today, one of the most sought-after Kathakali dance-dramas with a Western theme and has been presented on over 50 stages across the world.

Tickets:

Rs.450 & 270/- (Members)

Rs.500 & 300/- (Public)

Box Office now open

Workshops of Nakshatra

Dance research workshops to highlight the need of research for performers.

A guide to bringing your thoughts on paper by Dr. KanakRele

Sea View Room

Sunday, 20th - 10.00 am to 12.00 pm

A guide to Charles Wallace application with scholarship recipient SanjuktaWagh, followed by a discussion with guest speaker Anita Ratnam

Sea View Room

Tuesday, 22nd - 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

A talk on the making of the publication - Sattriya: Classical dance of Assam by Dr. Sunil Kothari

An AV presentation

AV Room

Wednesday, 23rd - 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

A guide to Commonwealth Fellowship and PhD. entrance exams by Dr. SrutiBandopadhay

Sea View Room

Thursday, 24th - 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

A guide to Fulbright Scholarship application by Dr. Sunil Kothari & Application of dance research-choreography by ParvatiDutta

Sea View Room

Saturday, 26th - 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm

Fees: Rs.1,000/- for above five workshops

To register, please call the Dance Department at 66223745/8879114939 or mailsdasgupta@ncpamumbai.com.

Odissi group dance workshop by RatikantMohapatra

Sea View Room

Sunday, 27th - 10.00 am to 2.00 pm

Monday, 28th - 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

Odissi guru RatikantMohapatra conducts a two-day workshop exploring Odissi choreography in its solo and group renditions. Participants will be taught both versions of the same piece. The aim is to not only learn new choreography, but also get an insight into the mind of the choreographer while creating a group dance.

Fees: Rs.1,000/-

To register, please call the Dance Department at 66223745/8879114939 or mail sdasgupta@ncpamumbai.com.

Box Office is open. Call 66223724/ 66223754 to book tickets.

About NCPA Nakshatra Dance Festival: NCPA Nakshatra is the NCPA's annual Winter Dance Festival showcasing an array of Indian classical dance forms and a constellation of dancing stars. It was started by the NCPA in 2009. NCPA Nakshatra Dance Festival 2010 featured Priti Patel's Manipuri Troupe, Margi Madhu'sKudiyattam and AditiMangaldas' Kathakcontemporary. NCPA Nakshatra Dance Festival 2011showcased performances by AlarmelValli, AyonaBhaduri andPrateesha Suresh. NCPA Nakshatra Dance Festival 2012showcased performances by MandakiniTrivedi, Raja Radha Reddy, KumudiniLakhia, MadhaviMudgal, AlarmelValli and Special 'Joy of Movement' workshop series

About the NCPA: Opening its doors to the world in 1969, the NCPA became the first multi-venue and multi-purpose cultural centre to be built in South Asia. Vibrant and diverse, the NCPA today is recognized by artistes, patrons and media alike as India's premier performing arts institution. The Centre provides a fine showcase for India's rich performing arts traditions, all thanks to the institution's training and research initiatives.

The NCPA presents over 600 events each year across all major art forms, most notably Indian Music, International Music, Theatre and Film, Dance, and Literature, Visual Arts and Photography. There are Heads of Programming for each of these art forms who curate innovative events and festivals; representative of everything from classical to contemporary throughout the year. The NCPA produces its own programmes as well as collaborates with leading cultural promoters from around the world.

To use the online booking facility, visit the NCPA official website: http://www.ncpamumbai.com/buy-tickets, or visit: www.bookmyshow.com. For more about NCPA, find them on social media at Facebook: www.facebook.com/NCPAMumbai and Twitter: www.twitter.com/NCPAMumbai

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