9th Pragjyoti International Dance Festival
Date : 18th to 20th February 2017 at Guwahati

9th Pragjyoti International Dance Festival from 18th to 20th February
Focus on promoting international understanding of peace and social harmony through the medium of dance

Kalpa, A Society for Promotion of Literature, Art, Culture and Social Harmony, presents the 9th edition of Pragjyoti International Dance Festival (PIDF); an annual classical dance extravaganza to exhibit the wide range of India’s classical dance forms together on one platform to sing in unison and to celebrate the rich heritage of Assam. This annual feature by Kalpa is a three-day classical dance extravaganza and will be held at Shraddhanjali Kanan in Guwahati on 18th and 19th February and IIT Guwahati on 20th February, 2016. The year the festival is hosted by in association with the IIT Guwahati.

The event is supported by Oil India Limited, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Assam, Sangeet Natak Akademi, North-East Centre, State Bank of India, Apex Bank, Assam Gramin Vikash Bank, My Taxi, 92.7 Big FM, Smart Tank & Life’s Purple. The announcement was made today during a press conference held at the Guwahati Press Club.

National award winner, Yuva Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Dr. Anwesa Mahanta who is the Festival Director of PIDF said, “Each and every year we try to reach out to people with various dimensions and perspectives of dance. This year we are trying to bring in a range of artistic expressions belonging to various parts of India and also at the same time experience Southeast Asian art forms through the artists of Indonesia. I truly believe it’s going to be a rare experience of artistic confluence.”

The Sattriya danseuse further says, “We have incorporated some of the lesser known art forms of Northeast like Bharigan and Aji Lamu. The festival experience would not only give the performers a platform to share their art form but also give a wider space to interact and see the performances of other art traditions. And audience shall witness varied styles of artistic representationsand extend artistic and creative bonds amidst rich diversity.”

This year Pragjyoti International Dance Festival has set out on yet another benchmark journey as eminent dance critic and scholar Shyamhari Chakra joins hands with the Kalpa team. Speaking about his association with the festival Anwesa said, “Eminent dance critic and scholar Shyamhari Chakrawas the person who inspired me to start the PIDF journey; all these years, he has been rendering his support towards the festival in various ways. But this is the first time, that he will officially join the Kalpa team in Guwahati during the festival. It is truly an honour for us to have him on board.”

Preetom Saikia, Commissioner and Secretary of Cultural Affairs Department earlier mentioned in a statement, “We have been associated with the Pragjyoti International Dance Festival since the past two-three years. Artistes from all over the world will showcase their talent in this festival; hence, it is a wonderful platform for the regional artistes to interact with them as well. This festival will definitely open up numerous avenues for all the performing artistes on a global level. The department has always supported such cultural initiatives and we will continue to render out support in future as well.”

To promote international understanding through dance, Kalpa is continuing its venture of celebrating the great dance heritage of the country and the upcoming edition features artists like Nanae Kezuka (Japan), Universitas Mahendradatta (Indonesia), Brahma Kumaris Denpasar (Indonesia), Enakshi Sinha (Canada), Anouk Tran Tranh (France), T. Reddy Lakshmi (Delhi), Disciples of Padmashri Jatin Goswami (Guwahati), Vijay Srivastava and group (Guwahati), Hari Saikia Bayan and team (Titabor) performing various styles of dance traditions. Besides, there will also be presentations of Bharigaan by the Rabha community dancers and Aji Lamu performance by Monpa community dancers. With the congregation of the dancing minds across the borders on one platform, the festival bridges a better understanding between India and these Asia-Pacific regions and tries to promote in its own way, the ideals of peace and harmony through the aesthetics of Indian heritage. Also, as in the previous editions of the festival, there will be morning interactive sessions- “Voices”, in IIT Guwahati and NERIM where the students would interact with the artistes and discuss about various concerns regarding “Art Education and Art Management”.

The concluding day of the programme would be hosted by the Cultural Board, IIT Guwahati and Centre for Creativity on 20thFeb. The programme shall be followed by a short interaction with the performing arts Students of IITG. During the meet, the President of Kalpa – Dr. Bhupendra Prasad Sarma and Secretary of Kalpa- Prof. Pradip Jyoti Mahanta also shared the vision and objectives of Kalpa and mentioned how the organization has been receiving warm accolades from the public for their efforts throughout the years which inspired them to carry forward this herculean task of hosting the festival in two different places.