Mumbai’s leading Odissi dance academy, Smitalay, has organised the 22nd Sanjukta Panigrahi Yuva Mahotsav on Friday 22nd August at Veer Savarkar auditorium in Shivaji Park, featuring six accomplished young classical dancers from different parts of the country, projecting Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak.
This is an annual feature organised by the veteran Odissi mentor and exponent, Guru Jhelum Paranjape, founder director of Smitalay, says “For the 22nd year we have managed to organise this festival as a tribute to the lengendary Odissi exponent, Sanjukta Panigrahi and her singer and music composer husband, Pt Raghunath Panigrahi, with the Yuva Mohotsav in order to provide a platform to young performers and also to promote and propagate Indian classical dances, on a larger platform, for better understanding and appreciation of classical dances. Its not easy, as we get lot of applications but we would like to accommodate as many as possible but the expenses have to be met, with hardly any corporate sector coming forward it becomes difficult, hence this time we have presented only six dancers in different styles. Out students would also present the dance drama, Dastaan Veer Shivaji portraying the story of the Maratha King Shivaji”.
Sanjukta Panigrahi was the renowned Odissi exponent and was among the foremost disciples of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, was greatly responsible for placing Odissi on the international map. Along with the commendable singing by her singer husband Pt Ragunath Panigrahi, with musical
compositions by Pandit Bhubaneshwar Mishra, they enthralled audiences in every country they performed. The soulful musical rendering of Raghunath and the immaculate lyrical Odissi performance by Sanjukta, transformed the audience to a higher level of spiritual consciousness.
The dancers to be featured in the tribute festival would be Dipjoy Sarkar in an elegant Odissi performance, Dipjoy is the disciple of Guru Sharmila Biswas. Vedanti Bhagwanti in a rhythmic Kathak performance, disciple of Pt Rajendra Gangani, presently seeking guidance from Guru Rajashree Shirke. Raja Dutta is an accomplished Bharatanatyam performer, initially learnt under Guru Anita Mallick, the veteran Prof C. V. Chandrsekhar and Dr Mamata Neogi from Montreal. Ananya Parida is a talented Odissi dancer, disciple of Guru Aruna Mohanty. Tajeshreee Vaidya is the talented disciple of Guru Ranjana Phadke and lastly Mumbai based Nandini Ganeshan would enthral the audience with her sparkling performance, Nandini is the grand daughter of Kalasadan Guru Mani and the disciple of veteran danseuse Chitra Visweswaran. Do witness the cultural feast.
Tickets are available on Bookmyshow.
