India hosts 49th World Congress of Dance
As a dancer and performer, I receive calls from different people and organizations to put up a show or a dance act that suits their theme or motto. There are times in an artist’s life when we await to perform some show and then there are some we have to perform with no choice left. My performance, talk and a workshop at the prestigious 49th World Congress of Dance was one to remember forever.
Recently the world of dance got linked together and Mumbai dance lovers witnessed a cultural extravaganza not only with their eyes wide open but even with their dropped jaws. There is only one lady, only one dynamic dancer who could do this and that graceful and elegance person is Kalashri Lata Surendra. It was an event which had the Global Icon of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai Bachchan light the inaugural lamp and Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Honourable Devendra Fadnavis delivered a closing speech.
It was the first time that the International Dance Council (CID) was organising its world famous Congress in India. The Congress endorses the harmony, peace and good-will linking world through the didactic potency of Dance and is open to all forms of dance: Classica, Ballet, Modern, Folk, Ballroom, Oriental, Tango, Therapeutical, Recreational, Revival etc.
Like all Congresses it engenders a sense of reaching out to belong to a larger dance fraternity, ‘The CID family’ – that absolutely shares every ones trials and tribulations. The event was even more special because of the significant presence of the President of International Dance Council, Prof.Dr. Alkis Raftis and Dr. Constantin Kontogiann is the Vice president, Paris Section CID, who even handed over the International Certification participation to students and dancers.
During these five days dance congress also invited performers who would truly highlight the significance of ‘dancing into meaningful moments’. I performed the opening act of the 49th World Congress of Dance with my gorgeous dance partner Super model Alesia Raut depicting the ever lasting love between a man and his women using the Cuban dance of Love Rumba. Apart from us there was performance by Ashley Lobo’s Navdhara India Dance Theatre.
After the hectic five days of dance and only dance around when Lataji, who is also the section president of CID got a few minutes free I pulled her to the side and she excitedly told me about the international dance extravaganza, Lataji said, “The Launch of the first section of International Dance Council ‘Linking Worlds Through Dance’ can only happen when a persona whose beauty gathers the world, whose name gathers the dance and whose commitment to the cause of under privileged highlights the tenets of the umbrella of the council of international dance- the official dance partner of UNESCO.”
I want to tell you all as to how informative and enlightening the 49th World Congress of Dance really was. I am listing down the lectures, workshops and performance that took place during these 5 days of CID meet.
The first lectures began with the super dynamic Principal of Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyala Dr Uma Rele (The Three ‘E’s in Performing Arts) followed by Kathak dancer Paullomi Mukherjee and Lavni expert Charushila Golam (Kathak and Lavani – a meeting point), Ms Savvy Raj Radhakrishnan (Why Dance Matters? The Relevance of Dance in the context of Education and Community at large) Alberto L. Dimarucut from Phillipines (The Creation of a centre for Dance at the University of Philipines and its policy advocacy plan) Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri (Temple to the stage through the folds of Manipuri).
Sandip Soparrkar (The colours of Ballroom Style Dances from then to now) Ms. Sanjukta Wagh (The vital need of an interdisciplinary and context based understanding and approach in the Indian classical and contemporary dance), Dr Sailaja Desai (The Relevance of Dance within the Context of Education & Community at Large), Simran Godhwani (Indian Dance Jewellery) Dr Tina Tambe (Changing trends in the inculcating and imbibing of the Dance in a changing world) Dr Sucheta Bhide Chapekar (The relation of texts and tradition in the context of Indian Classical Dance.) Jhelum Paranjape (Changing trends in the Kinesthetics of Odissi in a changing environment)
Padma Bhushan Dr Kanak Rele (Movement Science), Vyjayanthi Kashi (Re-Scribing Tradition)JigarThaleswarSoni (Drawing attention to the authentic tradition of Garba dance), Medha Dixit (Indian classical dance – A way to holistic development), Regina M Vallejos from Brunei (Setting up a studio in a country other than one’s own-specific area of Brunei) Pujita Krishna Jyoti (The ritualistic, ceremonial and dance operatic, communicative legacy of Vilasini Natyam).
Sunil Sankara (Deflections and Similarities in Kathak poses by Kathakaars of the Lucknow Gharana today and those highlighted in the illustrative texts on Rahas, Equivalent of Raas or Dance of Shringaar in the Book ‘Banni’ authored by the Patron of Kathak Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in the 19th Century). Dr Suman Badami (In the transition of the dance from ‘then to now’ has the dance lost out to the dancer?), Bhakti Deshpande (Comparative study of teaching techniques between Multiple Intelligence theory of Howard Gardner and Traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara in Indian classical performing arts’) Richha Dhagg (Basic Kathak Hasthamudrayein)
Smita Shastri (Kuchipudi Dance form as a means to connect Communities through tradition, transition and transformation) Medha Dixit (Abhinaya as a communication medium in Bharata Natyam) M. Gauravi Reddy (DVD presentation) Dhiman Sankar Mukherjee (DVD presentation of Choreographies)
Jigar Soni and Suhrad Soni (Hit the Garba Floor), Gregory Glade Hancock from USA (Nuances of the contemporary dance style) Phane Jayanthi Sen also from USA (In step with the times – a contemporary dressing and approach to the traditional) Sean Gavan from Netherlands (Introduction to Irish Dance)Nirmal Singh (Moving into fitness with folk movements)
Dr Vyjayanti Kashi (Catharsis through kinesthetics – Natya element in Kuchipudi) RizaL. Lim from Philipines (An Innovative use of Dance in Community Cultural Development) Deep Mehta (Indian kinesthetics to contemporary Dance) Abhishek Rathod (Party mania through Bollywood dance) Sean Gavan of Netherlands (Throwing light on Irish Dance) Dr Sucheta Bhide Chapekar (The language of Gesture) Gregory Glade Hancock from USA (Abigail Lessaris Contemporaray Dance Style) Hitesh Kothari (Fitness through dance moves).
Deepak Mazumdar (Throwing light on the ‘Nayaka’ – Man in the woman’s world) Dhiman Sankar Mukherjee (The Creative part of a dancer) Jhelum Paranjape (Adaptability of Animal Movements in Odissi to any Dance form), Renu Sharma (The exploration of cultural diversity and the creation of common ground through dance Adaptable content which will be altered according to the type of participants).Asha Sunilkumar (Dance as a discipline – Throwing light on the visual symmetry inherent in the pure dance aspects of Bharata Natyam). Regina M Vallejos from Brunei (Stepping into ballet – Introduction to basic kinesthetics of ballet).
I came out of 49th World Congress of Dance which celebrated 5 days of dance world coming together perfectly organised by Kalashri Lata Surendra feeling more educated towards my love for dance.
About CID Organisation:
- CID Congresses provide an official platform where individuals, groups and organizations with a shared aspiration and commitment to dance come together. Being primarily intended for professionals, the congresses are open for everyone who would like to learn more and to get involved in dance without any discrimination. As the United Nations of Dance, CID has been actively promoting professional development, research and international exchange in dance since 1973, providing official support, peer-to-peer exchange and the upgrading of dance in all countries through its members and local sections.
(Sandip Soparrkar is a well known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honoured with National Achievement and National Excellence Award by the Govt of India. He can be contacted on sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com)
SandipSoparrkar
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