Udvigna 2021: From Kathak to Kuchipudi and Chau to Odissi, this dance festival had something for everyone

Dance lovers and culture afficianados of Hyderabad were in for a treat as some of leading dancers in the country gathered to perform at the recently concluded National Dance Festival ‘Udvigna 2021’. With a lineup of top artistes performing live and parched dance buffs making a beeline, cultural fervour returned to the city with a big bang. The three-day dance festival, which took place from December 19-21, saw 12 troupes from across the country perform live and mesmerise the audience with their bewitching footwork, nrtya and abhinaya.From Kathak and Odissi to Mohiniyattam, Perini and Shiva Tandam — the repertoire was impressive.

The festival proved to be a welcome relief for performing arts and artistes. Yamini Reddy, a recipient of the Yuva Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from the city, who performed Kuchipudi with her troupe at the festival, said, “For a sector that relies on public gatherings for concerts, the pandemic was a sudden jolt. It has set back the performing arts community greatly. But we have been resilient a lot. Nothing can replace that joyous feeling when you connect with a live audience. It was surreal.”

For some artistes, putting on the makeup to perform live after a long hiatus meant both excitement and anxiousness. “It is always a lovely experience to dance at Ravindra Bharathi. Especially in Hyderabad, where you get audiences in large numbers who understand and appreciate dance. I missed performing live in front of such a turnout. I was excited to put on the makeup after a long break. The festival served as a great opportunity to interact with other dancers from all over the country,” said Kalaimamani Dasyam Gopika Varma, Mohiniyattam artist.

The three-day festival was curated by B Sudheer Rao, a Kuchipudi teacher from Warangal. Adhering to the new pandemic norms, the entire gathering masked up and followed COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. “Organising the National Dance Festival was an enthralling experience. In known history, there has never been such a long break in live performances. We could see the thrill and happiness in everyone who helped us conduct the programme,” said Sudheer.

- Paul Nicodemus