Ved Institute of Performing Arts presented Hey Gajavadana, a devotional group choreography centred on Lord Ganesha, at Ghungroo – Season 6, held at the CIDCO Exhibition and Convention Centre in Vashi on Sunday, 21 June 2026.
Presented by Sindhu Nair, the festival brought together dancers from different parts of India and featured performances spanning Kathak, Bharatanatyam and regional folk traditions. The participants ranged from young learners to senior practitioners, offering audiences a broad view of dance training and performance across age groups.
Choreographed by Aditi Yadav, Hey Gajavadana drew upon the rhythmic and expressive vocabulary of Kathak. The composition sought to evoke the form, attributes and auspicious presence of Lord Ganesha through coordinated movement, rhythmic footwork and group formations.
The dancers maintained a largely unified presentation, with attention given to synchronisation, spacing and transitions between formations. Tatkar and rhythmic passages formed an important part of the choreography, while the expressive sections reflected the devotional character of the composition.
Rather than treating the choreography as a series of individual displays, the presentation placed emphasis on ensemble work. The dancers moved as a collective, allowing recurring patterns and formations to build the visual structure of the performance.
Aditi Yadav, who has trained under Guru Smt Sunayana Hazarilal, shaped the work around the principle that technical clarity must support the emotional intent of a composition. In Hey Gajavadana, the choreography combined rhythmic discipline with an accessible devotional narrative, enabling the participating students to engage with both technique and expression.
The performance also reflected the institute’s emphasis on structured training and stage preparedness. Students at Ved Institute are introduced to rhythm, abhinaya, movement vocabulary and formation work, with performance opportunities serving as an extension of their classroom practice.
For young dancers, participation in a large-scale festival provides experience beyond technical training. It requires awareness of stage space, coordination with fellow performers, responsiveness to music and the ability to sustain concentration before a live audience.
With approximately 1,600 participants, Ghungroo – Season 6 functioned as a platform for dance schools and independent practitioners to present their work within a shared festival setting. Amid a programme encompassing classical and folk traditions, Ved Institute’s Hey Gajavadana contributed a devotional Kathak presentation shaped by collective discipline and coordinated movement.
The presentation demonstrated how group choreography can become an important pedagogical exercise-bringing together rhythm, expression, spatial awareness and teamwork while introducing young performers to the responsibilities of the stage.
