A mesmerising celebration of Kathak artistry

Nritya Kunj Academy of Kathak Dance hosted the ‘Spandan Dance Festival’ at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Hyderabad. The event began with academy students performing ‘Ganesh Vandana,’ ‘Panchabhuta,’ ‘Krishna Vandana,’ and ‘Nritya in Teental,’ followed by a Trivat and a Krishna Bhajan.

Mulla Afsar Khan from Pune presented ‘Panchakshar’ with his team and performed a solo in ‘Chautaal.’ Aarti Shankar, founder of Nritya Kunj, presented ‘Krishna Stuti,’ using a peacock feather to represent Lord Krishna and infuse divinity into her dance. Swati Sinha from New Delhi performed a Kathak solo, presenting a ‘Thumri’ by Pandit Narayan Prasad and a composition in Dhamaar Taal. The grand finale was a mesmerizing solo by Pandit Rajendra Gangani from New Delhi, featuring a Bhajan, ‘Bhasama Bhushana Angana Shiv,’ followed by another set to ‘Pavana manda sugandha sheetala.’

His intricate footwork and ghungroo rhythms synchronized perfectly with Nishit Gangani on Tabla, Swati Sinha on Padhant, and Vinod Gangani on vocals. The audience gave a standing ovation as Pandit Rajendra Gangani was honored by chief guest Sri B.P. Acharya, IAS (Retd), Former Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana.