KOLKATA MAYUR LALIT DANCE ACADEMY Key Issues and
Operational Areas, Major Activiities & Achivements
Operational Districts: Jalpaiguri , Kolkata
Operational States: WEST BENGAL
AchieveMents: Kolkata Mayur Lalit Dance Academy, a non-profitable cultural organization, registered under Government of West Bengal Societies Act, affiliated with Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh is very much involved in cultivation and promotion of Odissi, sublime classical dance form of India along with research oriented projects involving the same. Experimenting with various other classical music and applying them to the movements of Odissi adds a new dimension to the age old dance form. Our work on fusion of dying art form, Kirtan and Odissi, involving and incorporating its rhythm in Odissi dance form, thus creating an innovative Odissi dance drama based on Padabali Kirtan has earned much accolades from various distinguished corners, raving reviews from press, acknowledgement from experts including recognition from Ministry of Culture, Government of India in the form of Production Grant for the same. Besides educating students on the nuances and techniques of Odissi at our academy at Kolkata, we also haD a branch of our Odissi Academy at Alipurduar in Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal. This is quite notable that this Dooars region of North Bengal which is 750 kms away from Kolkata, the cultural capital of India, was getting enriched with classical dance form of India, the same facility being not available there. We were grooming students over there in regular basis for 5 years (2008 to 2012) so that they learned Odissi from experts and be at par with children of bigger cities and metros. We also have sections of special children and under privileged children, who are not in a position to pay for their dance lessons and also are taking part in all programmes and other activities of our organization and sit for the yearly dance examinations absolutely free of cost. Every year we organize major programmes exclusively on classical dance where children show their proficiency and talents to the august audiences with much applaud and recognition. We are regularly being invited by notable Central Government concerns like ICCR, EZCC, also our State Govt - DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, DEPT OF TOURISM, DEPT OF FOREST and other distinguished association to perform in prestigious festivals and programmes like Uday Shankar Dance Festival, Independence Day progm, Indian Navy Progm, Rajya Sangeet Academy, India International Centre, Forest Dept, Govt. of West Bengal, Other Government festivals, etc. Another very notable activity of our organisation under the valued leadership of Debamitra Sengupta - Regular weekly Dance Teaching and Counseling at the ALIPORE CORRECTIONAL HOME FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN , KOLKATA looking after the physical and mental well being of the women inmates and their children over there at the Correctional Home. An enriched archive is a treasure of this academy. An invaluable resource to the dance community with huge compilation of audio and video recordings of Odissi items both popular and rare choreographies by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Smt. Sanjukta Panigrahi, and Smt. Debamitra Sengupta. Special care and attention has been given in the process of documentation and compilation. The association with the academy will be a matter of pride to any student and scholar who would like to perfect their dance form and build up academic knowledge to carry on further research on the subject.
