Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Akademi and Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, under Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, is jointly organising the Classical Dance Festival on Tuesday 21st June at Chinubhai  Chimanlal Sabhagruha, HK College campus, Ashram road, Ahmedabad. Eight classical dance groups will perform for this festival.

The chief guest for this festival will be the honourable mayor, Shri Kiritsinh Parmar and the guests of honour will ex minister of culture, Mahendrabhai Trivedi, national president of Yogasan and Sports Federation, renowned Sitarist and trustee of Saptak, Manjubhen Mehta, Dr Jigar Chamapaklal Inamdar, regional director of Indian Council of Cultural Relations, noted Kuchipudi exponent and eminent arts critic,Guru Vijay Shanker. The festival is supported by the honourable chief minister, Bhupendrabhai Patel and Harsh Sanghavi, minister of state for sports, youth affairs and cultural activities.

The eights groups that would perform are dancers from Smita Shastri's Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, Sudha Institute of Odissi, SCOPA college from Surat, Pratibha Raghuvanshi group from Ujjain, Ayswaria Warriar and group for Mohiniattam, from Vadodara, Rema Shrikant group from Vadodara, Mudra artistic dancers and performers and the famous Kadam Centre of dance of veteran mentor Kumudini Lakhia. Each group presentation is for fifteen minutes duration to enthrall the audience.

Incidentally, 21st June is also the foundation day of Nartan Institute of Performing Arts, which completes Fifty glorious years of invaluable artistic contribution, led by the veteran mentor and Bharata natyam and Kuchipudi exponent Smita Shastri.

Smita bhen commenced her initial training under the celebrated danseuse Mrinialini Sarabhai of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, later established Nartan Institute of Performing Arts and has trained several aspirants in classical dancing, she has also performed for various prestigious festivals in India and abroad too. Smita bhen says "Initially it was not easy to convince the parents as to what is classical dance and to induce their children to learn dance, strangely when it comes to Gujarat, what is most popular is the Garba,dandiya and Raas and children and youth are easily drawn to these folk dances due to the navaratri festival."

Details:

Event: Classical Dance Festival

Day and Date; Tuesday 21st June

Venue: Chinubhai Chimanlal Sabhagruha, HK College campus, Ashram road, Ahmedabad.

By Guru Vijay Shanker