Upholding an art heritage of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organised a three-day (March 12-14) “Gaudiya Nritya” workshop with a solo dance recital and demonstration by the lone Gaudiya dancer of Bangladesh, Rachel Priyanka Perris. About 40 dancers from different troupes of Bangladesh took part in the workshop. 

On the concluding day Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of BSA; noted dancer Sharmila Banerjee, Sohrab Uddin, director of Music, Dance and Recitation Department of BSA and the workshop conductor attended a certificate giving ceremony, a lecture demonstration and dance performance by the participating artistes. 

The workshop entailed Gaudiya Nritya genres -- anga shadhona, nrityanga, nati rangana, madhura, bishak chauk chal and more. 

Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon

Priyanka delivered a lecture demonstration titled “Classical Dance of Bengal: Gaudiya Nritya”. She proved Gaudiya Nritya as a classical dance form of Bangladesh showcasing the dance form's conspicuous base on the four pillars -- literature and text book, sculpture, architecture and painting of ancient Bengal. She also asserted Gaudiya's link with the timeless folk heritage and guru-shishya parampara of Bangladesh.     

“The workshop is a beginning of a luminous movement of establishing Gaudiya Nritya as a classical dance from. BSA attempts to represent a timeless art heritage of our own in the world cultural forum. I hope Bangladeshi dancers will form a Gaudiya Nritya Repertory Troupe, under the leadership of Priyanka. For which, more practice, performance, lecture demonstration and research work must be carried out in the days ahead. We plan to invite Priyanka's Guru, Professor Mahua Mukherjee, the pioneer of the classical form, to conduct a 15-day or a month long workshop on Gaudiya Nritya,” said Liaquat Ali Lucky. 

The participating dancers presented several dance pieces. Mingling the myth of Prakriti and Purusha with the unique choreography of Gaudiya Nritya, Priyanka also showcased a solo piece titled “Ardha-Nariswar”.