Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The India International Dance Festival (IIDF) Guwahati 2026 ended recently. The event took place at the Kanaklal Barua Auditorium inside the Assam State Museum in Ambari. It featured over 100 artists and young students. The theme was “Celebrating Dance Sans Division”.
Samskritiki of Bhubaneswar and Darpan Dance Akademi in Guwahati co-presented the show. Festival Founder Shyamhari Chakra and Director Anjana Moyee Saikia led the project. The program highlighted five classical traditions: Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Manipuri, and Sattriya.
Kathak exponent Bipul Chandra Das opened the festival. Other guests included L. Karuna Devi, Anita Sharma, Pratibha Sharma, and Guru Tatini Das. The jury consisted of Vijay Srivastava, Upasana Mahanta Gogoi, Ankita Kulabhi, and Meernanda Barthakur. Also present were Nibedita Tarafdar, Moromi Medhi, Aligunjan Mudiar, Rakesh Mandal, Madhurima Barua Sen, Moinul Haque, and Robijita Gogoi.
Performances moved from Bharatanatyam geometry to Kathak footwork. Odissi brought its signature Tribhangi stance to the stage. Manipuri and Sattriya represented the Vaishnavite heritage of the Northeast. The festival emphasized the Guru-Shishya Parampara by having maestros perform with their students.
Organizers awarded the Future Face Award for IIDF 2025 Guwahati to a promising newcomer. Photographers Arup Jyoti Kalita and Nilakshi Neog documented the two evenings. The festival finished by proving that classical dance is a living tradition.
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