Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Akademi and Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, under Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, jointly organises the Classical dance festival on Tuesday 21st June at Chinubhai Chimanlal Sabhagruha, HK College campus, Ahmedabad, at 8pm. Eight classical dance groups will perform for this festival.
The chief guest for this festival will be Ahemedabad Mayor Shri Kiritsinh Parmar and the guests of honour will Shri Mahendrabhai Trivedi, former Minister of Culture and National President of Yogasan and Sports Federation, renowned Sitarist and trustee of Saptak, Manjubhen Mehta, Dr Jigar Chamapaklal Inamdar, Regional Director of ICCR, noted Kuchipudi exponent and eminent arts critic Guru Vijay Shanker. The festival is supported by the Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and Harsh Sanghavi, MoS for Sports, Youth Affairs and Cultural Activities.
The eights groups that would perform are Smita Shastri’s Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, Sudha Institute of Odissi, SCOPA college from Surat, Pratibha Raghuvanshi Group from Ujjain, Ayswaria Warriar and Group for Mohiniattam, from Vadodara, Rema Shrikant Group from Vadodara, Mudra Artistic Dancers and Performers and the famous Kadamb Centre of Dance of veteran mentor Kumudini Lakhia.
Incidentally, 21st June is also the foundation day of Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, which completes fifty glorious years of invaluable artistic contribution, led by the veteran mentor and Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi exponent Smita Shastri. Smita bhen commenced her initial training under the celebrated danseuse Mrinialini Sarabhai of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, later established Nartan Institute of Performing Arts and has trained several aspirants in classical dancing. She has also performed for various prestigious festivals in India and abroad as well.
Smita bhen says “Initially it was not easy to convince the parents as to what is classical dance and to induce their children to learn dance, strangely when it comes to Gujarat, what is most popular is the Garba, Dandiya and Raas and children and youth are easily drawn to these folk dances due to the Navaratri Festival.”
