Shadhona, a cultural organisation, has been working tirelessly for the last decade to promote and develop the dance scene in Bangladesh, both in the urban and the indigenous arenas. Last week’s busy schedule of Shadhona was just a continuation of their noble mission.
The week started with Bharatanatyam and Kathak workshops, which were run by Kolkata-based maestros Rajdeep Banerjee and Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee respectively from August 22 – 28. Even though Rajdeep has been supporting Shadhona’s sister organisation Kolpotoru for several years, this is the first time that Bhattacharjee has worked with Shadhona. Bhattacharjee, an outstanding Kathak maestro and choreographer, worked with 15 dancers from Dhaka, with intermittent participation by leading local Kathak dancers Munmun Ahmed and Tabassum Ahmed. Later, a lecture demonstration session by him was arranged by ‘Nrityajog’ – the Bangladesh Chapter of World Dance Alliance (Asia-Pacific) at Munmun Ahmed’s dance studio, Rewaz on August 29.
On August 27 at the Chhayanaut Auditorium, Shadhona’s monthly dance programme ‘Nupur Beje Jai’ presented an array of scintillating classical dance performances. The event commenced with a Bharatanatyam recital by Rajdeep’s dance school ‘Parampara’. It was followed by ‘Ullash’, a Kathak piece on the splendours of monsoon, choreographed by Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee and presented by the participants of his Kathak workshop.
The next presentations were Bharatanatyam pieces, which were superbly executed by Kolpotoru’s teacher, Amit Chowdhury and choreographed by his Guru Rajdeep Banerjee. The concluding performance, in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali style, was a short dance-drama ‘Banshee’, by Parampara, which was choreographed by Rajdeep and Ramyani Roy. Extolling the mystical power of the call of Lord Krishna’s flute, ‘Banshee’ was a treat for the Dhaka audience, who got a rare taste of Kathakali performed in its full colourful attire, by Ramyani Roy as Krishna. Chaity Ghosh and Rajdeep as his devotees and Satarupa Gon as Radha, made the performance remarkable with their neat performances.
To conclude the week, Kolpotoru conducted the 2nd Dance Examination by the West Bengal Dance Group Federation (WBDGF) in Dhaka on August 29 at its own premises in Banani. A total of 58 students from Kolpotoru, Bhabna, the IGCC Dance Academy and students of Dhrumel from Komolganj, Sylhet, sat for both practical and theoretical dance exams. Kolpotoru has been a certified centre for the WBDGF from August 2013. The examinations were conducted by Ramyani Roy and Chaity Ghosh from Kolkata, India.
-With New Age input
