This year’s International Dance Day celebrations programme was short and not much coulourful like the previous years. The Savar tragedy that took life of about 400 apparel workers and injured thousands affected the charm of this year’s programme and the organisers modified the schedule.
Perhaps this is for the first time that dance organisations observed the dance day without any dance presentation since the day has been celebrated in Bangladesh two decades ago.
The organisers- Bangladesh Nritya Shilpi Sangstha and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy jointly organised the programme- even cancelled the scheduled procession which was supposed to travel from the Central Shaheed Minar to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The celebrations, therefore, became just a formality on Monday at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The programme just limited to award-giving and a seminar.
Everybody present at the programme observed one minute silence in memory of the dead at the Savar tragedy.
Subsequently, the programme was inaugurated by Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of BSA.
Seasoned dancers Zeenat Barkatullah and Syed Abul Kalam were honoured with lifetime achievement award. Social welfare secretary Suraiya Begum as the chief guest handed over the awards.
The dancers paid special tribute to the demised souls by presenting a group dance synchronised with a melancholic Tagore song titled Sokatore oi kandichhe sakole.
The plan was, however, to stage diverse dance forms by 25 troupes.
The programme ended with the same gloomy ambience as a record Kado banglar manush kado was played.
With that, all artistes left the hall with candle-lights and with pray for the departed souls of Savar tragedy.
Earlier in a seminar, Nigar Chowdhury presented a paper titled Bangladesh: Sampradayikata Prasonga O Sangskritik Songkat. .
-With New Age input
