The walls of Purana Qila are lit up with effervescent shades. The audience is seen spilling over the aisles at the fort and even in the far off lawns at the old monument. The much-anticipated cultural dance event — 11th edition of the Ananya Dance Festival kicked off recently in the capital and will be on till October 10.
This time, the five-day classical dance extravaganza has been chosen as the official event to celebrate the completion of 150 years of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This year school children will get a chance to interact with artistes.
Says Sanjeev Bhargava, creative director, Ananya, “The festival is aimed at showcasing the purity in Indian classical dance. We have introduced an outreach programme to take Indian culture to the students. And present the cultural industry — music, dance, drama and related professions amongst the youth as viable alternative career options.”
Saroja Vaidynathan, Bharatanatyam stalwart and her troupe performed Shiva-Shakti, based on Lord Shiva and Parvathi (Shakti). She says, “Such festivals are useful to promote the richness and vivacity of Indian cultural forms amongst youth.”
Vijaylakshmi, Mohiniyattam exponent, will be performing Paryapti inspired by the regional ethos of Bengal. She says, “Classical dance forms always have a niche audience. Through such platforms, we can exhibit the changes and innovations that classical dance has undergone.”
The festival is co-organised by Delhi Government’s Department of Art, Culture, Languages and SEHER, in association with ASI and Doordarshan.
The festival will be held at the Purana Qila between October 6 and 10 between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. daily.