‘World Dance Day Celebrations’: A festival of dance across traditions

The 19th World Dance Day Celebrations, curated by Geeta Chandran, will be held at the India International Centre on April 25 and 26. Presented by Natya Vriksha, the two-day programme brings together workshops, performances and discussions, placing classical dance traditions alongside contemporary concerns.

The line-up moves between practice and reflection, with an emphasis on how inherited forms continue to evolve. Across sessions, the focus remains on continuity, training and the shifting contexts in which dance is being made and viewed today.

The first day begins with a Yangshak Movement Workshop led by Surjit Nongmeikapam. The session draws from Manipuri movement practices and martial arts traditions, working through breath, balance, momentum and the spine as a central axis of movement.

In the afternoon, Guru Dr Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar will present Pravāhita, an illustrated lecture-performance that looks at continuity within Bharatanatyam. Joined by Arundhati and Sagarika Patwardhan, the presentation brings three generations on stage, combining traditional repertoire with her Nritya-Ganga compositions set to Hindustani classical music.

The evening segment features the Young Dancers Festival (Yuva Nritya Utsav), with Bharatanatyam by Karuna Sagari followed by Kathak by Ameera Patankar.

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The second day opens with the workshop continuing in the morning. Later, a panel discussion titled AI & Dance: Challenges and Opportunities will be led by Anita Ratnam, with Madhu Nataraj as keynote speaker. The conversation looks at how technology, including artificial intelligence and virtual environments, is beginning to intersect with movement practices.

The festival concludes with another set of performances under the Young Dancers Festival, featuring Odissi by Vrinda Chadha and Kuchipudi by Avijit Das.

When: April 25–26

Where: India International Centre, New Delhi