Dancing in The Rhythms of Joy

For the numerous admirers of Indian culture the four melancholy and dull autumn days of November 2-5 were filled with a serendipity of color and exotic scintillating melodies as the Sixth All-Ukrainian Indian Dance Festival was held in Kyiv under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of India in Ukraine and Ukraine- India Society.

The first such gala was held in Poltava in 1994 quite modestly with only six dance ensembles taking part. But only two years later it already boasted seventeen. Since then the festival has been held in Kyiv and Kharkiv, but what remained unchanged is the public interest it generates, now drawing troupes from Russia, Belarus, and Central Asia, along with a constantly growing number of participants. Also increasing is the level of skill, from pure dilettantism to a professional level quite beyond reproach. Moreover, traditionally the festival winners are awarded grants to study the art of dance. Thus, this year nine participants were encouraged with such grants to master the bharata natyam, kuchipudi, and kathak classical styles. A special honor was receiving these prizes from hands of renowned bharata natyam dancer and director of the Ganesha Natyalaya Classical Dance Institute Saroja Vaidyanathan who was the head of the panel of judges .