The only festival in the city dedicated to dance, Parikramaa last year featured three-dance forms- Odissi, Manipuri and Mohiniattam. This year, the event will feature Kathakali and Kuchipudi. “The popularity of dance can be seen through the number of dance classes in the city. But, there has not been a single festival dedicated to classical dance. We now plan to make available a common platform for the portrayal of authentic Classical Indian dance forms. This festival would thus feature talented veteran as well as young performers presenting their art in front of dance enthusiasts,” said Arundhati Patwardhan, Chapekar’s daughter and chief organiser of Parikramaa.

On day one, the event, starting at 5.30 pm at Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium will showcase performances such as- Arghyam, a Bharatnatyam performance by disciples of Chapekar including Alka Lajmi and Neelima Kadhe followed by Dhanashri Apte’s performance on Nritya Ganga, Chapekar’s synthesis of Bharatnatyam and Hindustani Classical music. The event would be formally inaugurated by Rajlaxmi Bhosale, mayor of Pune and Leela Samson, Bharatnatyam dancer. Added attractions for day one will include Karnatak Tal Vadya Kacheri by Shridhar Parthasarthi and group and Dwandwa, a dance drama by Rajashree Shirke and Vaibhav Arekar.

The first session on day two would include a symposium on contemporary issues related to Indian classical dance at 9.30 am at Abasaheb Garware College hall. Padmashree Leela Samson, Anuradha Jonnalagadda, Kalamandalam Balasubramanian and Vaibhav Arekar will participate in the symposium. Second session will include performances such as- Bharatnatyam by Leela Samson, Kuchipudi by Jonnalagadda, Nritya Ganga by Chapekar and special performance by Kerala Kalamandalam.

Tickets for the show will be available at Kalavardhini branch, opposite Maharashtra Mandal, Tilak Road till November 25 and post that at Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium and Balgandharva Rang Mandir.

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The festival will see well-known names in the field come together and perform and also talk about dance and its relevance in today’s times. These include exponents of different dance forms, Padmavibhushan Sonal Mansingh, an exponent of Odissi; Padmashree Darshana Jhaveri of Manipuri, Deeepti Omchery Bhalla of Mohiniyattam, C.V. Chandrashekhar of Bharatnatyam and Shama Bhate of Kathak.

“Parikrama will provide an opportunity to the city audience, especially the dance students, not only to witness the veterans perform, but also to hear their view on dance. It is a first-of-its-kind event in the city where different dance forms will be performed in one platform,” Patwardhan said.

The festival also includes two other attractions, a book release function and screening of a documentary on Chapekar. Nrityatmika, a book by Chapekar, will be released by Sonal Mansingh. On the other hand, the documentary Vyomagami’ (meaning, moving towards the stars) has been directed by Amrita Mahadik.

“The book is not an autobiography, but talks about Tai’s (Chapekar’s) life and various other things, including her love for music, performance, her interactions with students and the happenings in her life. The documentary focuses on her childhood, her journey as a dancer and her students, among other things,” said Juee Deogaokar, Chapekar’s disciple and co-organiser of the event.

A symposium, convened by noted dance critic and historian, Padmashree Sunil Kothari, has also been organised as part of the event where veteran dancers will talk about their art on December 5 at 9.30 am. “While Chandrashekharji will speak on the relevance of classical dance in present times, Mansingh will elaborate on communication in dance, Jhaveri will talk about the journey of the Manipuri dance from temple to theatre, Bhalla on the history, development and future of Mohiniyattam and Bhate will enlighten us on Kathak in contemporary times,” Deogaokar said.

Meanwhile, Chapekar’s students, including Parimal Phadke, Smita Mahajan, Rama Kuknur, Yashoda Patankar and Pauline Reibell, her student from France, will perform on the first day. The highlight of the event, however, will be a performance by Chapekar herself, on the day of her birthday on December 6, where she will present her unique Nrityaganga.’

The dance form was developed by Chapekar for Bharatnatyam enthusiasts who found it difficult to follow the dance owing to the presence of carnatic music. “It is the pure and undiluted form of Bharatnatyam, but performed with the accopaniment of Hindustani classical music, giving it a different identity,” Patwardhan explained.

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