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The event was organised by Nrityantar Academy of Performing Arts, which was begun by Madhulita Mohapatra around two years back.
Naman 2011 included certain stalwarts of the dance fraternity such as Maya Rao, the director of the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography.
The event paid homage to the late Gangadhar Pradan, a pioneering guru and performer, who has been credited as being the main reason behind the popularity of odissi in our country. He also inaugurated Naman 2010.
The first performer of the evening was Debasish Pattnaik, who has been practising odissi for the last 18 years. He performed two pieces, the first being the Krishna Stuti, in devotion to Lord Krishna.
This item was composed by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, and was re-choreographed by Debasish. Some of the steps of the performance depicted Krishna’s ever present flute and peacock feather. His fluid, graceful movements as well as his coy and mischievous expressions left the audience spellbound.
The next piece performed by Debasish was the Shivastakam, which was in honour of Lord Shiva. The Shivastakam highlighted the beauty behind the god’s devastation and destruction. Its tone was in stark contrast to the previous piece, with Debasish’s intense and furious expressions depicting Lord Shiva’s rage and destructive power.
The next performer was Rajashri Praharaj, an accomplished dancer from Bhubaneswar who holds a bachelor’s degree in music and teaches dance. Her performance was a portrayal of a well-known scene from the Ramayana: Sita’s abduction and the consequent murder of Garuda.
Combining technical perfection and sensual grace, she guided the audience through the unfolding of events: Sita coveting the golder deer, her abduction in Ravana’s aerial chariot, and culminating with Garuda’s tragic death.
The stage was then taken over by Aruna Mohanty, a well-known name among odissi dancers. She performed a dance piece titled Raageshri Pallavi, in which she incorporated the graceful postures of many of the sculptures found at the Konark Temple in Orissa.
She also performed a self-composed piece, Harirabhisarati, which is based on the Geeta Govind. She concluded her performance with a rendition of the Krishna Madhuri, which left the audience enchanted.
The event came to an end with the dance pieces of Devjani Sen. Her portrayal of the Prana Sangini Re, which revolves around Radha and her best friend Prana Sangini, as well as her performance of the Mokshya were commendable.
Naman 2011 was attended by several prominent figures from the dance fraternity, such as Vyjayanthi Kashi, Veena Murthy and Usha Venkateswaran. Honouring the event as the chief guest was Ashish Mohan Khokar, a well-known historian, art critic, collector and
biographer.