24TH KONARK DANCE & MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009

Beautiful atmosphere, serene nature & sublime feelings are what one experiences while being at Konark, Orissa. The land of the Sun Temple & the gorgeous Chandrabhaga beach, this beautiful place has been welcoming people with great affection. Right there with the most genuine approach to performing arts stands 'Konarak Dance & Music festival' that has been providing the art-enthusiasts some soul enlightening Februaries...

picture poster coming soon
Stepping into the pre-silver jubilee year this year, the 24th Konark Dance and Music festival is all set to provide a prefect treat for the art lovers at Konark Natya Mandap, Orissa. Brainchild of Padma Shri Guru Shree Gangadhar Pradhan, this grand festival is proudly welcoming exponents of dance and Music.
Dance students, art lovers, critics, exponents, teachers, and artists would be witnessing this grand event. The festival hopes to receive spectators, participants as well as artists from around the globe, as always.
The evenings which are of course the best & most awaited feature of the festival would bring refreshing performances by some highly efficient performers. As explained by Shri Pradhan, this year's festival would be embracing both established as well as young artists. There would be a beautiful blend of several dance & music performances, classical as well as semi classical during the festival.

As informed by him, this festival will be staging dance styles such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Chhau, Gotipua and Ranapa and on the other side music recitals of flute, sarod, classical vocal etc.
This 3 day long festival is scheduled from 19th to 21st February 2009 and is hosted by Shri Pradhan's 'Konark Natya Mandap' in collaboration with Orissa tourism & Easter Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata.
This annual festival which is of an international repute is well known for its picture – perfect venue & beautiful stage. Konark in Orissa on the eastern sea-coast of India is blessed by rich waters & sand which create an aura of simplicity & meditation. Above all, in the midst of this beauty is the festival's open air stage which holds magnificent sculptures on its wall surrounded by hugh trees. The performances in the evenings, on this wonderful stage that faces the open sky with the stars glittering above, would indeed create an atmosphere of sublime beauty.
To enrich the festival, the galaxy of artists at this year's Konarak dance & music festival include Flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurrasia, Sarod player Abhjit Ghose, Odissi vocalist Dhiraj Mohapatra, Kathak exponent Guru Gitanjali Lal, Mayurbhanj Chhau artist Trilochan Mohanta and US based Odissi dancer Jyoti Rout and Manipuri dancer Baisali Basu Sarkar.
The troupes participating would be the Kathak Kendra troupe, New Delhi, Sridevi Nrityalaya, Chennai, Chhau troupe, Baripada, Manipuri troupe, Kolkata, Gotipua troupe – Konark Natya Mandap, Konark & Ranapa troupe, Ganjam.

Other young and talented artists which would add to the beauty of the festival are Pallavi Das and Sharanya Mukhopadhyay, USA, Yudhisthir Nayak, Bhubaneswar as well as Pabitra Pradhan and Sridutta Bhol.
Shri Pradhan's KDMF does seem to continue its tradition of bringing the new & the versatile year after year. Apart from this, the festival has earned a banner for being a very good host to the artists & is known for good organization and management.
The festival is noticed as a great platform for true artists & genuine talents!! The festival is sure a rendezvous of people with the arts in true sense.


Thus, the 24th Konark dance & Music festival is all waiting with its arms open to embrace & welcome everyone to be a part of this grand celebration.

For details & further information kindly visit:

http://www.konarknatyamandap.org/

- MANASI PANDYA - 2009