A palette of colours

Rare Dances

Bangaloreans got a taste of different dance forms from across the country and abroad at the ‘Folk Rhythm Ensemble’, held as part of at the ‘Bengaluru International Arts Festival’, at the Cosmopolitan Club in Jayanagar.

Groups from Sri Lanka, Manipur and Assam showcased their dances at the fest.

The show commenced with a group from Manipur showcasing their unique dance from, Pung Cholam. It is performed only during Holi and takes one to the beautiful land of Manipur.

The dholak player is the key performer in this act. Men dressed in white dhoti match their steps with the dholak as they played with rhythm and music creating a unique harmony.

Simple hand gestures and acrobatic moves marked this number. Though difficult to dance with a dholak, the men were not only doing it with grace but were also spinning around along with it. The coordination was perfect.

The second item was a kuchipudi recital by dancer and actor Sanjay Shantaram and his group. The group set the mood for the show by their display of energy on stage. The choreography was noteworthy and on popular demand, the group went on to perform two other items.

The audience was enthralled and did not want to miss any part of it. “I am so glad that one of the shows of the BIAF is being held in this part of the City.

The Manipuri group was great and extremely talented. The way they spun with the dholak was really commendable. It is good to see the cultures of so many places on the same platform,” says Nandini, who had come to watch the show.

The Sri Lankan dance was a slow melodious number. It was a harvest dance and showcased the bright and colourful culture of the country.

The girls were dressed in traditional Sri Lankan skirts and blouses. The dance, though simple, was charming.

The  group, dancing with sickles and other tools used during the harvest, made a pretty picture on the stage. The slow music was soothing and the audience could be seen enjoying their performance.

“The Sri Lankan dance was very colourful and we could see the similarity between our country and theirs through this dance. For a change, it was slow and pleasing to the eyes and the ears.

It is not every day that you see Sri Lankan artistes performing,” said Ashwin, a member of the audience. A sattriya dance was also presented on the occasion.