Bhubaneswar: The culture of Odisha will be showcased at the national level Republic Day parade with classical and folk dance performances in New Delhi on Thursday.
According to sources, a 10-minute dance performance will be held after the Ministry of Culture’s tableau, which will include Odissi, Jhumura (Keonjhar tribal dance), and Sahi Jata Nacha (Puri) dance forms of Odisha.
Odissi dancers Nibedita Mohapatra and Kavita Dwivedi, Mohiniyattam exponent Jayaprabha Menon and artistic director of Urshilla Dance Company Bhavini Misra are the four choreographers for the Ministry of Culture’s cultural show, which includes seven classical and folk dance forms. Nine Odissi dancers, six Jhumura dancers, and four Sahi Jata performers will participate from the state. The Jhumura dancers are orphan girls from Adruta in Bhubaneswar.
A total of 479 artists in the age group of 17-30 years were selected through a month-long Vande Bharatam dance competitions held by the Ministries of Defence and Culture at state, zonal and national levels in the genres of classical, folk, and contemporary fusion.
The contingent comprising 326 female and 153 male dancers will perform on the theme Nari Shakti (women empowerment) depicting the five elements of earth,– earth (Prithvi), water (Jala), fire (Tejas), wind (Vayu), and space (Akasha).
“We are going to showcase the five elements of the earth through our dance recital. It is a proud moment for all of us to be showcasing Odisha’s culture at the Republic Day parade,” Dwivedi said.
The President of Egypt has been invited as Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations for the first time.
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