Heeling Expressions , City Diary - City Events - Kolkata Mirror,Kolkata Mirror

By Sonashree Basu

Posted On Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 06:11:17 PM

The sixth year celebrations of actor and dancer Indrani Dutta’s performing arts centre, Kala Niketan took place at

Madhumanti, Indrani, Satinath and Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti

Kala mandir on November 2. The event was anchored by Satinath Mukhhopadhay and Madhumanti Maitra.

Chief guest, police commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakraborti said, “I feel that through Indrani’s dance we are revisiting different cultures. I should thank the parents for encouraging their children to take part in this show as extracurricular activities are missing nowadays due the pressure of studies.”

Students of the institute were also awarded certificates and prizes for passing successfully in their examination affiliated by the Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad. Dutta said, “I want to thank all the guests present here and my teacher Sumitra Mitra, who has helped me achieve this position. Though I am a Kathak dancer, I have tried to incorporate authentic steps of contemporary dance forms. Wherever I perform, people have asked me to do something innovative and thus I have devoted a lot of energy and

Indrani scorched the stage with her movements

time to bring variety in all my performances.”

The event kicked off with a Kathak dance recital by Nivedita Chakraborty, one of the dance instructors along with children as young as three years of age. After a round of traditional dance, the focus completely shifted to Dutta and her troupe, Sristi’s creative and theme based rendition. Toronto based choreographer, Sukalayan Bhattacharya created a collage, with vignettes of a Bengali fisherman song Jale Niguna then an aggressive Manipuri martial dance was performed on the song Jokhon Kono Swapno Dekhi.

Some of the dancers also grooved to the rhythm of Salsa and Hip-Hop choreographed by Pedro. Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina was the number on which they shook their legs. Sadly, the act turned out to be a damp squib as it saw the audience leaving their seats and going out for cup of tea rather than watching the moves. Students of Ruma

Indrani surrounded by her students

Mazumdar and Debasish Basu tried delivering a poetry based and techno creative dance respectively, but it was not sufficient to get the attention of the audience. Though the popular songs like Kine De Reshmi Churi, Jao Pakhi Bolo and Pagla Hawa Badal Dine were selected the incongruous outfits and unsynchronised steps dampened the entire effect.

Nevertheless, the spectators were glued to their seats again, with soothing ball dance on romantic Bengali songs like Shei Rate Raat Chilo Purnima and Dutta’s mesmerising act on Aye Moon Jyostna.

The three and half hour programme paced up and reached it crescendo in the grand finale, choreographed by the famous Mumbai based choreographer Yogesh Patkar, it was surely a treat for the eyes. The lighting effects, the brilliant choreography, and outfits designed by Agnimitra Paul left the audience craving for more.

The finale comprised all peppy Bollywood dance numbers and on most numbers Dutta performed herself. She rocked to Cchance Pe Dance, sizzled on Hoth Rasile and displayed her flamboyant salsa on Pyar Ki Ek Kahani Suno.

Photo: Dipanjan Ghosh

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