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Pragjyoti International Dance Festival 2012 from February 2

By editor |


The third edition of the Pragjyoti International Dance Festival will be held on February 2, 3 and 4. This festival, over the last few years, has won accolades from dance connoisseurs all over the world for acting as a major platform for the promotion of young talents and for acting as a space for social and cultural convergence. Dancers from different parts of India and abroad (Bangladesh, Nepal, Japan, Russia, U.K and U.S) had taken part in the last two editions of the festival. The Pragjyoti International Dance Festival is organized by Guwahati-based Kalpa.


Festival coordinator Anwesa Mahanta, a noted dancer herself, said, “This year young dance exponents from all the major traditions have been invited. The festival will feature artists from Ukraine, France and Sri Lanka who have selflessly been learning Indian dance forms. This will also contribute towards a better understanding between India and these Asia-Pacific regions and try to promote in its own way, ideals of peace and harmony through the aesthetics of Indian heritage.” The evening presentation has been named as ‘Panorama’.


The festival also gives an opportunity for the local dancers to participate in this one-of-a-kind international event. Auditions for all the classical dance styles will be held in the city on January 23 and 24.


The third edition of the Pragjyoti Dance Festival will be held in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Assam. Radio BIG 92.7 FM has also come forward to support the event. The event is dedicated in the memory of late Bhupen Hazarika and a tribute programme has been scheduled on February 2.


While the festival will also feature a photo exhibition, a series of interactive sessions between the visiting dancers with the public and students has also been arranged. “The sessions, entitled ‘Voices’, have been scheduled in the morning hours of February 3 and 4, where we hope to see an intimate exchange of ideas taking place. This is bound to develop a finer sense of interaction and communication between the artists and the public in general,” informed Anwesa.


Kalpa is a society for promotion of literature, art, culture and social Harmony. The genesis of Pragjyoti Dance Festival can be traced to its decision to start a festival of all major Indian dance traditions for young exponents. The festival is aimed at contributing towards integration and harmony through art and also providing an avenue to young classical dance talents.


Anwesa further informed that the auditions for the local young exponents of all the classical dance styles, including Kathak, Sattriya, Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Manipuri, will be held on January 24 and 25 and the winners will get an opportunity to participate in the mega event. “Interested candidates, between the age of 18 to 30 years, can mail their details to kalpa.society@gmail.com or festivalcoordinatorpragjyoti@gmail.com. The applications must reach the office before January 20, 2012. The names of selected artists will be available on the blog, www.kalpa-pragjyoti.blogspot.com. The artists, once selected, will get a time-frame of 10 minutes to showcase their abilities in front of the panel of judges.”


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