It is now 29 years since the annual Nrityageet dance production came into existence and according to one of its producers the secret to its longevity is its participants’ love and passion for the dance form.
In fact, Seeta Shah Mohamed, who is the director, producer and researcher of the production, recently told The Scene that the different dances performed every year are really “expressions of love” by the dancers. There is no doubting her words since there must be something that keeps over 48 dancers going each year. The production, as usual, will be commemorating the arrival of Indians to Guyana.
The next staging of the production is just around the corner and this time around patrons would be given three opportunities to view the over 20 dances that would be on display. There will be a matinee show at 2 pm next Friday followed by two shows beginning at 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday. While the matinee show would cost patrons $200 they have a choice $500 or a $1,000 for the nightly shows. All three shows will be at the National Cultural Centre.And even though the production is staged every year, Mohamed was quick to point out that every year there are different dances except for a few favourites. So each year patrons get an opportunity to view different choreographed dances. According to Mohamed the production is focused on the Caribbean’s multi-cultural and multi-ethnic make up and she was bold enough to liken the production to Carifesta, which does the same thing with the only difference being that it focuses on different art forms, instead of just one. The dances on display will include traditional folk dances, classical Indian dances, classical and futuristic dances. And the music for the dances would be Caribbean with global influences, Mohamed said.
As usual there would about 20 to 22 dances on display and as was mentioned before over 48 dances, between the ages of 30 and ten years old, will be taking part. The production has become a Guyanese tradition, but it is also a family tradition as it is really the Nadira & Indranie Shah Dance Troupe that make it a reality. The two women are Mohamed’s sisters and she said dancing runs in the family. It is their love for the art form that has seen them not only have a dance school in Guyana but also in three other countries. In fact, the Shah family has over 28 dancers who are all university, high school or primary school students or dance teachers.
The troupe has received the Medal of Service for sustained and outstanding contribution to the cultural mosaic in Guyana while the production has been repeatedly awarded ‘Best Dance Production’, ‘Best Costumes’, and ‘Best Set’ by the Guyana Theatre Arts Awards. It also won the ‘Madame Iffel’ Award of Barbados and received a special award by the Theatre Art Awards, ‘Exception Diligence in the Pursuit of Excellence’ for 21 years. It has also received the New York Festival Award for ‘Long and Sustained Dance Productions of Excellence.’
“We dance for the love of dance and the satisfaction of producing a dance programme that is truly Guyanese, South American and Caribbean. Although with a strong Indo-Guyanese input, our choreographies reflect an international repertoire incorporating dance styles from our multi-cultural background drawing from global trends. At the same time, we maintain our original form of Khatak, Orisi and Indian Folk,” a release from the troupe said. The troupe has represented Guyana over the years in the US, Canada, England, Germany, Sweden, Egypt, Croatia, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname. The Shah family has schools in Guyana, Barbados, US and Sweden.
