Berhampur: Rural sports winners dance to the tune of folk music

Berhampur: The girls who helped in reinvigorating the extinct rural sports and topped in the competition a fortnight ago, performed a dance ballet on traditional folk and lullaby song ‘Thia puchi naranga’ on the stage for the first time in their life at ITI Auditorium here on Saturday.

The girls, who are the best in rural sports, still don’t believe that they were able to dance on the stage and they enjoyed it thoroughly.

They performed the dance ballet along with many national and international acclaimed artistes during the 14th ‘Kumara Punei Janha Lo’ festival organised by Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation, Berhampur, which was webcast live in India and abroad on Kumar Purnima by ‘Amesabu’ App available both in Google Play Store for Android sets and in iOS for iPhone sets.

Recreation is more than playing sports. It also means art, theatre, music and dance. They are taught by artistic professionals who strive to make the most of their innate creativity. These kids would also perform the traditional folk and lullaby song ‘Thia puchi naranga’ at different places in India to popularise the rich tradition and culture of Odisha at national and international arena, said Hrushikesh Panigrahi, Director, Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation.

The traditional folk and lullaby song ‘Thia puchi naranga’ was derived from South Odisha Cultural Study Centre under the Department of Odia, Berhampur University, from the beginning. It is choreographed by renowned Odissi dancer Rinarani Sahu, also a disciple of Guru Kanduri Charan Behera. Fifteen winners of rural sports out of 300 girls were trained to dance to the tune of the traditional folk and lullaby song ‘Thia puchi naranga’ with practice of two hours for seven days. It is definitely a difficult task to train the girls who are not able to link between music and movement. But the dance element with free expressive movement, exploring patterns, shapes, directions and tempos, makes a child more excited about dance and the result is positive, said choreographer Rinarani.

This experiment on the traditional folk and lullaby song ‘Thia puchi naranga’ enthralled the audience. The iconic traditional song ‘Kumara Punei Jahna Lo Phula Baula Beni’ by renowned female singers from different parts of Odisha with music direction by Madhab Patro also mesmerised the

audience.

Ovation Sankirtan by G Haribandhu and team in Ganjam; Shakti Abahani dance by Sushree Samhita; Odissi dance ‘Eswari’ by Madhulita Mohapatra and Sahana Maya of Nrityantar Dance Ensemble, Bengaluru; Sikkim folk dance by Pravina Sinchury and troupe; folk dance by Sruti and team from Venkateswara Music and dance Academy, Srikakulam, and Scrap Fashion Theme dance by ITI Berhampur students also kept the audience glued to the stage as the programme ended with a musical note.