Dance residency to commemorate Odissi legend Kelucharan Mohapatra

A dance residency paying tribute to the doyen of Odissi classical dance, Kelucharan Mohapatra, is all set to begin from August 11 at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) here.

The eighth edition of the "August Dance Residency" will see performances by his son Ratikant Mohapatra and his senior students -- Jhelum Paranjape and Daksha Mashruwala.

It will commemorate and pay homage to the artistic journey of Mohapatra.

The Odissi legend, known for his 20th century revival of the dance tradition, has been awarded with the Padma Shri in 1974, and the Padma Vibushan in 2000, four years before his death in 2004.

A classical dance institute "Srjan", established by him and his son in 1993, also promotes the Odissi dance form.

His son and dancer, Ratikant Mohapatra, was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2016.

He will be playing the character of "Ravana" in the enactment of "Dashanana", an iconic choreography by his father and Odissi legend. It is scheduled for the first day of the three-day dance residency.

On the second day, the NCPA will screen a film based on the life and work of Kelucharan Mohapatra.

"Through this edition of the residency, we are paying tribute to my revered Guru, Odissi exponent Kelucharan Mohapatra from whom I have learnt Odissi for many years.

"This residency also gives us the opportunity to talk about the month-long Odissi dance workshops that he used to conduct at the NCPA in the 80s and 90s. Those workshops certainly helped build the strong base we have of Odissi in Mumbai," NCPA's programming head Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, also his ex-student, said in a statement.

The festival will also feature a two-day dance workshop for senior students, by Ratikant Mohapatra.

The entry fee for the dance festival ranges from Rs 225 to Rs 600, with the workshop fee being Rs 2,000. Tickets can be bought at www.bookmyshow.com.

--IANS

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