Prince Dance Group steals the show ; Curtails down in Malyabanta

‘Dasha Avatar’ - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, a dance programme presented by the Prince Dance Group from Berhampur stole the show at the closing ceremony of the Malyabanta Mahostav-2011, which began here. It was based on the incarnation of Krishna, beginning with the preaching of Gita. The organizers of the three-day extravaganza was invited several cultural groups and teams to perform.

The Berhampur-based group led by team leader Krishna Mohan, which has carved a niche for itself in the entire world for its distinctive style of choreography, presented three performances including Vande Maataram. The 21-member team had been divided into three groups. Members of all the groups had been painted from head to toe with the tricolour. It looked as though the national flag was waving on the stage as they danced. The acrobatics displayed by the dancers conveyed different meanings to the song and music.

The Prince Dance Group put together by Krishna Reddy gave a breathtaking performance of "Dash avatar" - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The self trained group drew wide applause from the audience. It was a unique and refreshing experience for the people who witnessed the show. I had never earlier seen such a dance form. The way the artists performed the dance made be speechless, said T.Nageswar, a 45 year spectator from Visakhapatnam.

The other highlight of the evening was a scintillating ‘Kuchipudi’ dance performed by the artists from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. The colorful performance captivated the huge gathering of about 50,000 audiences who enjoyed the series of cultural events till late night.

Then there was the popular ‘Bhangda’ performance that originates from Punjab. While performing Bhangra, the artists started singing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, while at least one person played the dhol drum. Than the dancers began to move in a circle around the drummer, who now and then lifts the two sticks, with which he beats the drum, to beckon the dancers to a higher tempo of movement.

The closing ceremony also witnessed a folk dance related to the festival of Bihu in Assam. This dance was performed by young men and women and it was characterized by brisk dance steps and rapid hand movement. Dancers wore traditional colourful Assamese outfits. Artists from Rajasthan also performed Chakri and Bhawai dance.

Local artistes also presented a couple of performances, namely ‘Dhemsa’, Kathi, Bazasal, Kureifula and paraja dances.  Though all the troupes performed well, it was the Prince Dance Group which added glamour to the evening. Rayagada Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, his Koraput counterpart Sachin and Malkangiri Collector & District Council of Culture Chairman Balwant Singh, Superintendent of Police Anirudha Singh were present in the closing day ceremony