Grand finale of folk dances and Kathak by the leading dancer of the Jaipur Gharana, Rajendra Gangani, marked the conclusion of the six days long international dance festival, at Kamani auditorium in New Delhi on 21^st October 2024.

Organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi, Ministry of Culture with support from Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Lalit Kala Akademi, this mega event was one of kind with participants from over 15 countries, Asian, American and European countries, that combined the congregation of classical dancers, folk and theatre artists, musicians, scholars and critics from various parts of India and overseas too.

His Excellency Vice President of India, Jagdish Dhankar, Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekawat, chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi, Dr Sandhya Purecha, secretary Raju Das, MP Hema Malini, eminent Bharata Nrityam exponent Dr Padma Subrahmanyam and several other eminent artists were present on the occasion and were excited to see the various folk dances of India from 28 states and union territories spreading the message of cultural unity in diversity as folk dancers, both young and men and musicians enthralled the packed audience with their vivacious performances, directed by the dynamic Devendra Shelar. It was a rare spectacle to watch more than 250 performers on the stage.

In his welcome address His excellency Vice President of India, Jagdish Dhankar said “I get a feeling sublimity and am grateful for this experience as classical dance is divine. For the last six days, the conference has proved to be a game changer, as 14 points has been charted out urgent for consideration. I am reminded ot the cultural extravaganza which was organised in Meghalaya last week by our dynamic chairperson Dr Sandhya Purecha. This event establishes our global identity, which has been nurtured for several centuries. Although Hema Malini is known as an eminent actress, her first love is classical dance. Padma Vibhushan Dr Padma Subrahmanyam is the recipient of the second highest civilian award, which proves her outstanding devotion to classical dance. Some art forms needs further course of action and the lack of inclusivity, India is a land known for its universities like Takshashiila and Nalanda that was known for its knowledge and learning. The G20 Summit showed art forms from every district and state. Historical evidences has seen the destruction of musical instruments and intrusion into our culture but what binds us together is our culture and Indian classical music and dance is a fine reflection of culture and heritage which is recognised internationally”.

Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekawat congratulated Dr Sandhya Purecha, secretary Raju Das and entire team of Sangeet Natak Akademi for organising the six day international conference on India dance. While the morning sessions featured lectures by eminent artists from around the globe that exposed the listeners to  the various aspects of performing arts and its relevance to the contemporary society, it was surprising to note that Asian countries like Nepal and Bangladesh have already included Indian classical music and dance in the school curriculum, which is still not implemented in India.

By Guru Vijay Shankar