Nritya can be described as an explanatory dance, where the lyrics of the song are conveyed using hand gestures (hasta mudras) and facial expressions (abhinaya). The dancer’s internal emotions (bhaava) are expressed in a way that they transcend on to the onlookers; Utsav represents delight, merriment or pleasure.

Nrityotsav, celebrating the delight of dance, is a unifying effort of dance connoisseurs from all over the world and a forum for them to come together and appreciate dance. Originally conceived by Poornima Risbud and Pallavi Nagesha of Rasarang School of Performing Arts and presented in 2014, Nrityotsav is back here again this year owing to the vast support of the community!

As a performer and supporter of Nrityotsav, my personal experience has been quite uplifting. There are many dancers with a professional career who have taken up dance with great passion in the New England area. Selected artists from Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi forms unified their efforts and highlighted the greatness of womanhood as a common theme! Another feature of last year’s program was to bring accomplished professional Kathak and Kathakali artists from India who shared their life experiences and demonstrated the arts with great conviction. It was heartening to see how simple they keep their life and manage time, given the complexities of handling a performing and teaching career in arts.  Most of them attended performances by local talent and were quite appreciative of the efforts. Two highlights for me were - from-the-heart lec-dem by Smt Nirupama and Sri Rajendra and the make-over demo by the Kathakali artists. Nirupama emphasized how true artists distance themselves from the murmur of distractions around them and it is just their art and them in a performance or a class!

I was in awe, along with many, of the attention to detail the Kathakali dancers require to complete their face make-up and the fine granularity and patience it takes! After all, at the end, dance was the common thread and it did not matter, what the source was! The day was a testament to the fact it is the faith and commitment to the chosen art form that keep us all together and progressing in our journey! True to its meaning of Nrityotsav, the delight and merriment were felt by one and all present.

Many a time, visiting artists from India have said this: “Away from home, Indians are enthusiastic supporters of art and lend a helping hand showing solidarity when it comes to hosting such festivals!” Built upon the trust and friendship that the New England community is immensely blessed with, the Nrityotsav organizers are preparing this year for the festival on Saturday, October 10, 2015 as an all-day event. Dance competitions in various categories and staging of Don Quixote, the Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - directed and choreographed by Chennai-based Artist, Sheejith Krishna and the Sahrdaya Foundation are sure treats to the mind and eyes!

Please check http://www.rasarang.org for more details and to purchase tickets to this event, and a write-up on the finale here - http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=11300.

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