Sattriya Nritya: An ancient Assamese dance form recreated in London
The Assamese community in the UK recently organised an immersive musical experience based on the ancient Indian dance form Sattriya, displaying Assam's vibrant shades and heritage at Navnat Centre in Hayes in west London.
The event 'Nritya Nirmali' by Luitporia Nasoni group brought alive the dance form Sattriya in the UK and was led by Chinu Kishore. Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Awardee Dipjyoti Das and Dipankar Arandhara from Assam held the audience in thrall with their mesmerising performance.
The 500-year-old Indian dance form, Sattriya Nritya, comes from the Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam, known as Sattras and is based on Vaishnavism. Sankaradeva, the 15th century saint-scholar, playwright and social-religious reformer, is credited as the creator of this dance form as an emotional devotion to Lord Vishnu or Krishna. Usually, mythological stories about the incarnations of Vishnu are depicted in Sattriya Nritya.
The energetic Dasavatar Dance was the show's highlight, and each incarnation of Lord Vishnu, when represented by the dancer duo Das and Arnadhara, received all-around applause.
Some other performances during the show by Chinu Kishore, Debarchana, Porinita, Pallavi and Junmoni were greeted with resounding applause. The Luitporia Nasoni team is celebrating the great feat of bringing out the creative excellence of these dancers, made up of working women and busy mothers.
Kishore, a full-time associate director on a rail infrastructure project, is passionate about promoting Assam and its culture in the UK and sponsored the whole programme.
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"The immense audience appreciation that the show has garnered in the UK speaks volumes about the role of arts and music in breaking barriers of languages and borders. Indian Diaspora in UK (IDUK) are always happy to support such initiatives," said Hirdesh Gupta of IDUK, supporting the event.
Various community leaders from the diaspora who attended the programme were honoured by the organisers with a memento and a shawl.