Event Details

Opening of Mumbai Dance Season 2023

Nrityarang
A Spectrum of colourful dances of India

Co-curated by Ranjana Phadke & Latasana Devi

The evening promises to be a colorful presentation of different dance styles

Odissi by Mitali Dsouza
Kuchipudi by Sailaja Desai
Gussadi Folk Dance (Telangana) by Vivek Tamhankar
Lavani by Smita Vetale
Bharatanatyam by Madhavi Gangal
Kathak by Sheetal Kapole
Bihu Folk Dance by Preetilekha Chowdhury
Tipni Folk Dance by Lalita Soni
Ghumar Folk Dance by Pramod Jadav

An NCPA Presentation curated by Latasana Devi and Ranjana Phadke

The NCPA Mumbai Dance Season is a community engagement initiative started by the NCPA in 2018 in association with the entire dance community in the city. The season is back as a month-long celebration of dance. The opening event will be curated by Latasana Devi and Ranjana Phadke.

Born in Manipur, Latasana Devi was initiated into Manipuri dance at the age of eight. She received her early training at the prestigious Manipuri Nartanalaya in Imphal under the guidance of Guneswari Devi. In 1980, she began intensive training with the renowned Bipin Singh, Darshana Jhaveri and Kalavati Devi in Kolkata. In addition to the above, Latasana Devi has learned Kartal Cholom (cymbal dance) from Ojha Choabhal Singh, Nata Seishak (vocal training) from Ojha Lakpati Singh and Pung Cholom (drum dance) from Ojha Birmangal Singh. She is well-versed in dance and martial art forms, music, as well as drum-playing. She has a deep and abiding interest in the Manipuri dance form. In 1994, she received a junior fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, to conduct research in the field of classical Manipuri dance. A top-grade artiste and an accomplished performer for Doordarshan, she is also an impanelled artiste of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Ranjana Phadke completed her post-graduation course (Nritya Alankar) in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and pursued a B.Sc. (Statistics) from Pune University. Phadke has been a performing Kathak artiste for the last 16 years. She has had the privilege to perform at the Pune Festival, Pt. Ram Marathe Festival, Thane Municipal Corporation Festival, festivals organised by the Cultural Affairs Directorate, the Maharashtra Government, and Apna Utsav, to mention a few. She has also given performances in the U.K. and Netherlands. As a Kathak artiste, Phadke has choreographed and presented a number of ballets and dance dramas. She has choreographed Kathak items in group forms, which she presents along with her students. All these items include the training that she and her senior disciples, have been undergoing for the last 10 years. Phadke choreographed dances on poems penned by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at a special programme presented in Pune and has also performed on invitation for the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nehru Centre, ISKCON and the Karnataka Sangh.

Admission on a first-come-first-served basis.