Pragjyoti International Dance Festival (PIDF), an annual classical dance extravaganza organized by Kalpa, a Society for Promotion of Literature, Art, Culture and Social Harmony, is celebrating twelve years of its glorious cultural journey this year. PIDF always takes efforts to exhibit the wide range of India’s classical dance forms together on one platform and to celebrate the rich heritage of Assam. The festival, first of its kind in Assam and Northeast India by brilliant young exponents of diverse dance traditions of the world invited from various parts of India and abroad has hopefully curved a niche in the cultural map of the country and earned approbation from the art cognoscenti as well as media with its variety, vivacity and expanse. This Festival is recognized as one of the top-ten prestigious festivals of the country as acclaimed in several national dailies. The festival with its popularity worldwide has in a way contributed towards region’s growth in the field of cultural diplomacy. In earlier editions, artists from US, UK, Germany, Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Ukraine, Poland, Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Nepal have participated in the festival along with artists of national and international repute of India and local artists of Assam. The festival has been featuring the historical importance of the region through culture and promotes the magnificence of the land. Along with the local arts getting an international exposure, the artists visiting Assam become cultural ambassadors in featuring the greatness of the land and its rich heritage. The festival, as envisioned, has also been able to build a cultural bond and an emotional integration crossing the boundaries of India.
The 12th edition of Pragjyoti International Dance Festival presented by Kalpa will be a four-day dance pageantry w.e.f 13th to 16th February, 2022 to be celebrated in a hybrid mode and mostly virtual in view of the current pandemic situation. The festival in association with Kri Foundation, Kalabodh is supported by Ministry of Culture, Govt of India along with partnership with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts, Dibrugarh University, Dept. of MIL and Literary Studies, Gauhati University, NEF Law College, L.K.R.B State College of Music, Guwahati, Kalpavriskha, DanzLenz and Unmute.Help. PIDF this year, will feature various presentations, lecture demonstrations, discussions, workshops, lectures, dance films, guided viewing of documentaries of performance traditions, arts and law etc. Dr. Anwesa Mahanta, renowned Sattriya danseuse, curator and Festival Director of PIDF also informs that the festival brings together artistes and scholars of international acclaim and also promote local art forms. Renowned art personalities like Vidushi Bharati Shivaji, Vidushi Kamalini Dutt, Vidushi Geeta Chandran, Vidwan Sadanam Balakrishnan, Bayanacharya Ghanakanta Bora, Vidushi Aruna Mohanty, Vidushi Vyjayanthi Kashi, Vidushi Uma Dogra, Vidushi Priti Patel would be seen in the session Natavara Krishna in Nritya Darshan. Dr. Anita Ratnam, Vidushi Rama Vaidyanathan, Dr. Ileana Citaristi, Dr. Alka Pande, Vidushi Sudha Raghuraman would feature in the session Interdisciplinarity and Dance. Similarly, on the second day beginning with Rasa Vaibhav a Lecture Demonstration in Odissi by Dr Anjanamoyee Saikia in L.K.R.B State College of Music, the day would end with the session “Destination Northeast” – a specially curated presentation of brilliant and award-winning dance films from Northeast by dancers and filmmakers of great eminence and curated by eminent scholar and arts activist, Dr Arshiya Sethi, Founder and Managing Trustee, Kri Foundation. Films to be feature here are by the reputed artistes and film makers like Utpal Datta, Sadhna Srivastava & Priti Patel, Surjit Nongmeikapam, Bimbavati Devi, Dr. Anjanamoyee Saikia, Dr. Anwesa Mahanta, Shilpika Bordoloi, Aseng Borang & VenusTokchom & the Meekwakching band and Mridusmita Das.
The third day brings in illustrated lecture on Arts and Law by Dr. Arshiya Sethi, with NEF Law College following which there will be a workshop on Dance Writing with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts, Dibrugarh University to be conducted by Shrinkhla Sahai, renowned arts columnist and writer. The day concludes with another exquisite set of Dance Films dedicated to Environment Awareness and Climate Change “Hot Theme for a Warm Planet: Dance Films on Nature and the Shadow of Climate Change” with internationally acclaimed dancers and filmmakers of India and outside and curated by Dr. Arshiya Sethi featuring films by Bindu Rajendran, Ramya Harishankar, Nehha Bhatanagar, Dr. Anjanamoyee Saikia, Prachi Sathe, Shilpika Bordoloi, Surjit Nongmeikapam, Deepali Salil. The four-day Festival concludes with Guided Online Viewing of Dance Documentaries with films on Bordhuliya Tradition by Dr. Anwesa Mahanta, Pena by Sadhna Srivastav and Mrinalini by Nandan Kudhyadi partnered with Dept of MIL and Literary Studies, Gauhati University thus creating a platform of confluence, integration, excellence and international understanding.
Key points of the festival
1. Platform for cultural excellence in Assam
2. Educational Awareness sessions of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
3. Spreading message of rich cultural heritage amidst the youth both in morning hours followed by evening concerts.
4. Creating platforms for local arts and local talents along with artists of international acclaim.
SCHEDULE OF 12th PRAGJYOTI INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL (PIDF) 13th – 16th February 2022
13th February 2022
4:00pm – Welcome Note
Session I: Interdisciplinarity and Dance
Moderated by Dr Anita Ratnam
Vidushi Rama Vaidyanathan – Dance and Literature
Dr. Ileana Citaristi – Dance and Sculpture
Dr. Alka Pande – Dance and Painting
Vidushi Sudha Raghuraman – Dance and Music
6:15 pm Session II: The Natavara Krishna in Nritya Darshan
Moderated by Vidushi Kamalini Dutt
Mohiniyattam – Vidushi Bharati Shivaji
Bharatanatyam – Vidushi Geeta Chandran
Kathakali – Shri Sadanam Balakrishnan
Sattriya – Shri Bayanacharya Ghanakanta Bora
Odissi – Vidushi Aruna Mohanty
Kuchipudi – Vidushi Vyjayanthi Kashi
Kathak – Vidushi Uma Dogra
Manipuri – Vidushi Priti Patel
14th February 2022
11:00 am – Rasa Vaibhav – A Lecture Demonstration by Dr Anjanamoyee Saikia with L.K.R.B State College of Music, Guwahati.
6:00pm – DansLenz – “Direction Northeast: Dance Films from the Land Deeply Loved” followed by Panel Discussion
Featuring Films by: Dr. Anjanamoyee Saikia; Dr. Anwesa Mahanta; Aseng Borang & VenusTokchom & the Meekwakching band; Bimbavati Devi; Mridusmita Das; Sadhna Srivastava & Priti Patel; Shilpika Bordoloi ;Surjit Nongmeikapam; Utpal Datta.
15th February 2022
11:00 am – Illustrated Lecture – Arts and Law by Dr. Arshiya Sethi with NEF Law College, Guwahati
3:00pm – Workshop on Dance Writing by Shrinkhla Sahai with Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts
6:00 pm – Danslenz – “Hot Theme for a Warm Planet: Dance Films on Nature and the Shadow of Climate Change” followed by Discussion curated by Dr. Arshiya Sethi
Featuring Films by – Dr. Anjanamoyee Saikia; Bindu Rajendran; Deepali Salil
Nehha Bhatanagar; Ramya Harishankar; Prachi Sathe; Shilpika Bordoloi; Surjit Nongmeikapam
16th February 2022
11:00 am – Guided View Session of Documentaries of Dance Traditions of India curated by Dr. Arshiya Sethi with Department of Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies, Gauhati University
Bordhuliya Tradition of Assam – Documentation by Dr Anwesa Mahanta; Pena – Documentary film by Sadhna Srivastava; Mrinalini – Nandan Kudiyadi
