Jaipur: The dance festival ‘Tatkaar’, held on Sunday at Maharana Pratap Auditorium, presented a captivating blend of Kathak's rhythm, beats, expressions and diverse dance forms. More than 100 dedicated artists from the India International Institute of Kathak Dance and Music (IIIKDM), founded by renowned dance guru Shweta Garg, showcased the richness of Indian dance and musical traditions through their performances.
The programme opened with a special Kathak presentation by the institute's founder and guru, Shweta Garg, on the Ganesh Vandana ‘Gaiye Ganpati Jag Vandan, Shankar Suvan Bhavani Ke Nandan’, composed by the great poet Goswami Tulsidas. Along with the devotional Vandana, she beautifully showcased the traditional pure Kathak style of the Jaipur Gharana, highlighting its intricate rhythmic patterns, footwork and expressive movements.
During the nearly two-hour-long festival, artists presented traditional Kathak compositions in Dhamar, Jhaptaal and Teentaal, along with classical, semi-classical, folk and fusion dance performances. Presentations such as the Krishna-devotional composition ‘Araj Suno Banwari’, the classical piece ‘Sargam’ and the expressive romantic performance ‘Pardesiya’ added a variety of colours to the evening.
One of the major highlights was a dance presentation based on the famous traditional semi-classical thumri ‘Kaate Na Birha Ki Raat’, composed in Raag Pilu. Associated with the celebrated singing of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, the composition beautifully portrayed the emotions of separation, longing and anticipation through expressive dance movements.
The audience also enjoyed fusion performances based on the popular song ‘Pasoori’ and Ed Sheeran's hit track ‘Sapphire’. These performances created a beautiful combination of Indian and Western musical rhythms with contemporary dance styles and received enthusiastic appreciation from the audience.
The festival was organised to mark the 21st foundation day of the institute. Renowned writer, photographer and tourism expert Trupti Pandey attended the occasion as the chief guest. She encouraged the participating artists and presented them with mementoes in recognition of their performances.
Through ‘Tatkaar’, the institute beautifully reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the traditional heritage of Kathak while connecting the younger generation with Indian classical dance and diverse contemporary dance forms.