In a first, Ninad troupe performs at Khajuraho festival

PATNA: Kathak exponent Neelam Choudhary’s became the first troupe of artistes to perform at the internationally reputed

Khajuraho

Dance Festival, organised under the aegis of Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet Evam Kala Akademi of the

Madhya Pradesh

government earlier this fortnight.

Choudhary is the co-founder cultural organisation

Ninad

that promotes classical music and dance in Bihar. Her troupe performed ‘Kathak Pravah’, which illustrated various aspects of kathak, at the fest on February 22.

The first segment of the visual spectacle, based on the chants of hymns from the vedas, introduced an abstract flavour, while the second segment, Sargam, portrayed the Nritta Anga and depicted how classical art forms were interconnected.

For the Bhava Anga, Sufi-style kathak was presented in the third segment which blended the Bhakti and Shringara rasas as the artistes danced to the beats of ‘Kaise kahoon sakhi mohey laaj lage’. The final segment displayed contemporary kathak choreography.

The troupe comprised of Subrata Pandit, Rashmi Choudhary, Shahid Alam, Sandeep Sarkar, Sanskriti Suman, Anvesha Verma, Rajeev Ghosh, Divya Pandey, Diksha Pandey and Sneha Malik, who danced to the music by

Chandrachur Bhattacharya

. The voice-over was given by Prakirti Prakhar.