The GKCM Odishi Research Centre in association with the State Tourism and Culture Department would organise the 9th International Odishi Dance Festival here from Friday. The festival would continue till December 30.
Culture Director Sushil Kumar Das, GKCM Chief Executive Prof Naba Kishore Mishra and Srjan director and festival coordinator Guru Ratikant Mohapatra announced this at a Press conference here on Wednesday.Around 250 dancers and 200 accompanying musicians would participate in the festival. The festival would have two sessions every day, the 1st session from 4 pm to 6 pm and the 2nd session from 6.30 pm onwards.This year, nine solo dances, five duets and thee group Odishi dances are scheduled to be performed every day.
As many as 150 Odishi dancers from Odisha, 60 from other States and 30 dancers from countries like Italy, USA, Japan, Malaysia and German would participate, said the organisers. Notably, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Odishi Research Centre has been orgaisning the festival with a view to bringing Odishi dancers from across the country and abroad to a single platform to assess their performances from different perspectives style, technique, costume, music and mudras.