Shyamhari Chakra
Bhubaneswar, Amongst the countless online Odissi dance recitals that the connoisseurs are coming across from around the world during the ongoing pandemic,the every-Friday-festival launched this month by Bhubaneswar-based Odisha Dance Academy (ODA) has evoked enough excitement.
Aptly titled asUdayaraga (rays of the rising Sun), the festival that aims at highlighting the talented young soloists, is also set for a record as the longest weekly concert series with Odissi.
“Every Friday, the festival will feature one of the brilliant solo Odissi dancers of the world who could be claimed as the future faces of our rich dance tradition. My aim is to introduce these new talents to the world early during their career through this online festival,” explained ODA director and eminent Odissi exponent Padma Shri Aruna Mohanty who is the brain behind this venture.
Udayaraga was launched in Bhubaneswar during 2010 as ODA’s exclusive annual festival for young Odissi soloists. Three years later, it included soloists of other Indian classical dance traditions as the festival concept was widely applauded across India.
“Solo dance has been the beauty and strength of Indian classical dance forms. Solo artistes were instrumental in bringing classical dance to the forefront of India’s cultural arena after independence. However, as popularity of group dance has adversely affected opportunity for solo performances, I felt the urgency of this festival to highlight such soloists who were gifted dancers,” she added.
Though the festival was discontinued after five years owing to financial constraints, it left a mark in India’s dance festival calendar. “The five editions of the festival had featured more than 30 dancers from India and abroad, majority of whom have been known worldwide as professional performers today. The list included Arushi Mudgal, Gauri Diwakar, Rahul Acharya, Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, Arupa Lahiry, Lingaraj Pradhan, Shashwati Garai, Rajashri Praharaj and Sonali Mohapatra” informed Madhusmita Mohanty, well-known Odissi dancer from ODA.
Bahirangam, the dancer-audience-exponents-critics interaction sessions that followed the performances was the most attractive feature of the festival series, she mentioned.
Udayaraga was re-launched this month in its new virtual format in view of the ongoing pandemic that restricts public performances. “The online concert series has received instant appreciation from dancers and dance connoisseurs from far and wide as it has reached out to a wider audience than the traditional stage shows,” observed chief festival coordinator Pramod Kumar Rout.
