Understanding dance with Sharmila Banerjee

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Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
Bengal Foundation presented chapter six of the monthly series “Understanding Dance with Sharmila Banerjee, Folk and Tribal Dance (Part I)” recently at the Daily Star-Bengal Arts Precinct in the city’s Karwan Bazaar area.
The event was curated and presented by celebrated artist, choreographer and educator, Sharmila Banerjee. It was an evening of lectures and demonstrations complimented by audio-visual content and practical demonstrations of various forms of folk and tribal dances from Bangladesh and its neighbour West Bengal, in India.
The programme featured spirited performances of a variety of Bengali folk dances such as Pata nach, Paik nach, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Tripura, Jum nach and Raibenshe, all of which were very strongly applauded by the attending audience.
Sharmila Banerjee also presented a clear and informative introduction to the history and evolution of folk and tribal dance forms in Bangladesh. Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury, senior arts programme manager of Bengal Foundation, said a few words on the occasion.
Performers included Afsana Islam,Sudeshna Swayamprabha, Mehraj Haque Tushar, Ira Bala, Krishna Roy, Falguni Sen, Shafiqul Islam, Farhad Ahmed Shamim, Jasimuddin, Chandra Tripura, Jhilik Chakma, Sudha Chakma, Nai aye sing Tutu, Ashainu, Marma and Bipasha Chakma.
Sharmila Banerjee graduated from Visva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan, India with a Bachelor of Music degree in dance.
She received training in the Kathakali and Monipuri forms at Shantiniketan. She was bestowed with the title of ‘Nartan Visharad’ after completing Post-Graduate courses in Manipuri, danced at the Manipuri Nartanalaya in Kolkata under the renowned Manipuri teachers, Guru Bipin Singh and Srimati Kalavati Devi.
Sharmila Banerjee is also trained in Bharata Natyam, Odissi and different forms of folk dance. She is currently Head of the Dance Department at Chhayanaut and is the founder/director of her own dance institution of Nritya Nandan in Dhaka. n
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