Legacy of rhythm: 17th edition of Vysakhi Nrithyotsav brings together acclaimed artistes

The 17th edition of Vysakhi Nrithyotsav, a three-day festival of Indian classical dance, is being organised by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy (NMDA), from September 12 to 14 at Kalabharathi Auditorium, Pithapuram Colony. Established in 2008 by founder of NMDA Vikram Kumar BR, the annual festival has steadily grown into a significant cultural forum that draws celebrated artistes as well as emerging performers. Over the years, the stage has hosted recipients of Padma awards and Sangeet Natak Akademi honours, making it a festival of note in the calendar events of the city.

Each year the festival confers awards that recognise contributions to classical dance and allied traditions. The Vysakhi Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 will be presented to Kathak exponent Shovana Narayan, whose career as performer, teacher and choreographer spans seven decades. She has earlier been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2001.

The Vysakhi Nritya Shiromani Award 2025 will be conferred on Sudagani Geeta Narayan of West Godavari, who trained in Kuchipudi at the academy under KV Lakshmi. The Vysakhi Naatyasri Award 2025 will be presented to Odissi dancer Kavita Dwibedi, recognised for her expressive abhinaya and innovative choreography, while another Naatyasri Award 2025 will be given to Dr. Padmini Krishnan, a Kuchipudi artiste who has performed at Khajuraho, Soorya, Nishagandhi, and Natyanjali festivals.

The Vysakhi Naatyasri National Award 2025 will be conferred on KV Muhammad Gurukkal, who has worked for decades to preserve and teach Kalaripayattu in Kerala. His centre is affiliated with the Folklore Academy and the Responsible Tourism Mission of Kerala.

Recognising the next generation of practitioners, the Vysakhi Yuva Puraskar 2025 will be given to three dancers. Angshuman Gupta, trained in Manipuri and Kathakali under senior gurus, has presented his work across the country with his ensemble “Anuranan.” The second recipient, Sujay Shanbhag, began training in Bharatanatyam at the age of six and has since performed in India and abroad, while also contributing to training and festivals through his organisation Kala Sujaya. The third artiste is Oggu Ravi Kumar, a celebrated Oggu Katha folk artist from Telangana.

The Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award will be presented to Anupama Mohan, a distinguished Kuchipudi artist from Kerala. The Saroja Vaidyanathan Yuva Puraskar will be awarded to K Amukta Maalyada, an accomplished Kuchipudi academic and Indic researcher from Andhra Pradesh.