Manasa-Art Without Frontier presented a unique dance festival at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The event brought together two distinguished dance troupes from Odisha and Jharkhand, featuring Padmashri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees, marking their debut performances in Delhi. The festival, conceived and curated by Guru Sharon Lowen, offered free entry to the public.
The Omkara Dance Festival showcased Seraikella Chhau by the ‘Trinetra’ Chhau Dance Centre from Seraikella, founded by the late Guru Pt. Gopal Dubey, a Padmashree and SNA Awardee. The event also highlighted Odissi performances by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s senior disciple, Guru Kumkum Mohanty, and her disciples. Additionally, there were Odissi performances by Guru Sharon Lowen’s Manasa-Art Without Frontiers dance troupe and by the disciples of Guru Ranjana Gauhar, also a Padmashree and SNA Awardee.
In conjunction with the festival, the “Parivartan-Generational Change in Dance” seminar was held on Saturday, June 1st, from 10 am to 1 pm at the IIC Annexe Lecture Room, India International Centre. The seminar featured prominent figures in the dance world. Smt. Kumkum Mohanty, the legendary senior disciple of Padmabhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, shared her extensive knowledge of Odissi over the past 70 years. Sunil Dubey, Director of the Trinetra Dance Centre, provided insights into the legacy of Padmashri and SNA Awardee Gopal Dubey. Navtej Johar, an SNA awardee and Bharatnatyam exponent trained at Kalakshetra and NY University Performance Studies, and current faculty at Ashoka University, also contributed his expertise. Guru Sharon Lowen moderated the seminar, fostering a rich discussion on the generational changes in dance.
The festival was held in collaboration with the Aalekh Foundation, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, and the India International Centre. It highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting India’s cultural heritage, bringing traditional dance forms to new audiences.
Manasa-Art Without Frontiers, since its inception in 1995 by Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar, has strived to facilitate the intersections between visual and performing arts, both traditional and contemporary. The organization aims to acquaint the younger generation and the general public with India’s harmonious cultural heritage, fostering the development of future artists. Founded by Sharon Lowen along with Kamalini Dutt and Naresh Kapuria, Manasa-Art Without Frontiers has continually worked to build bridges between various art forms and generations.
Overall, the Omkara Dance Festival and Parivartan seminar were successful in celebrating and exploring the evolution and generational shifts in Indian dance. The events provided a platform for distinguished artists to share their craft and knowledge, ensuring the continuity and growth of India’s rich dance traditions.