A two-day dance festival and Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das Award 2015 ceremony, organised by Guru Pankaj UDRA Sanskruti Academy, concluded here on Friday.
On the occasion, Guru Ghanashyam Panda was conferred with Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2015 for his contribution to vocal and music. Guru Gopi Krushna Behera got Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das Award for dance.
In the valedictory evening Odissi dancer Arati Kar opened the stage
with “Shankara Varanam Pallavi” based on raga “Shankara Varanam” and Tala “Ek Tali”. Her sterling performance and eye expression enthralled the audience.
The second performance was a duet one i.e., “Bhabani Bhujanga Stotram” by Odissi dancers lingaraj and Sanjukta Pradhan. The dance piece was choreographed by Bichtrananda Swain.
This was followed by Odissi rendered by Dushmant Kumar Swain. He performed on the song “Nachanti Range.”
The concluding evening also witnessed dance performance by students of Nrutalaya and a group dance performance by the students of Nupur. The students of Nupur presented “Panchabhuta”. This dance piece is about creation of life, which goes on in a cyclic order. This was choreographed by Guru Niranjan Rout.
In the inaugural evening, artistes like Guru Padma Charan Dehury, Rajashri Praharaj and Munmun Chakrobarty also performed. The valedictory ceremony was inaugurated by Secretary, Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy, Dhirendranath Mallik, eminent Odishi Mardal exponent Guru Banamali Moharana and Basanta Das.