The curtains of Nrityageet 40 – the final production – closed in splendour and tears last Saturday at the National Cultural Centre when scores of dancers put on a fine show of dance, song, drumming, yoga and drama.
Founders of Nrityageet, Nadira and Indranie Shah had been teaching and dancing for many years in Guyana and abroad; the 40-year-old dance production quickly rose to stardom and became an annual treat that Guyanese anticipated.
The dance theatre production had always commemorated the arrival of the first batch of indentured East Indians to Guiana on May 5, 1838 through song, dance, dance drama and poetry. The very first two productions were held in the Queen’s College Auditorium on May 5, 1979 and May 4, 1980. Every year since the production was hosted at the National Cultural Centre.
In a letter to this newspaper published on April 27, 2019, Director of Nrityageet, Dr Seeta Shah Roath had announced that this year’s production was the last as the Nadira & Indranie Shah Dance Troupe had decided to discontinue the annual dance theatre owing to a lack of sustained interest from the business community and the Guyanese audience’s seeming preferences for glamour, glitter and the more popular Indian dance styles.
Thousands of dancers have been part of Nrityageet over the 40 years. Indira Itwaru, one of the dancers in the last production has been with the dance troupe for 13 years. “I started dancing with the group when I was in school. It was an incredible journey. I have participated in the production every year since. Every year it’s been all about fun and love and sharing that. This year was no different except for it being emotional. We all were crying. Nrityageet has created a strong bond among us. The dance group will still be around but the idea of not having Nrityageet around anymore is sad,” Indira said.
Another dancer, Mikel Andrews, expressed his sadness via Facebook. He said, “When I saw this, tears came to my eyes knowing that this was the last Nrityageet. A legacy that has been around for 40 years… Two dancers, Suzanne and Nadira Shah have inspired me so much. Dr Seeta Terry Shah I love you for the many things I have learned from you and I know this isn’t our last production (crying while typing this). We will meet each other backstage where [you] will be director and I will call it Nrityageet 41. Love you all.”
The final production was put on two nights in a row, Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4 and saw modest audience turnouts on both nights. The dance drama ‘The Abduction’ put on by the Guyana Ramlila Group put on a suspenseful act, while a few who danced to old Guyanese Chutney music which included a dance to the song “Guyanese Baboo” had the audience singing along. There were performers representing the National School of Dance, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Golden Om Dharmic Dance Group, National Dance Company, Guyana Ramlila Group and Nadira & Indranie Shah Dance Troupe.
Nrityageet took the opportunity to acknowledge the individuals, organizations and companies that assisted in the staging of the production over the last 40 years. A special thank you was given to the thousands of dancers who participated over the years.
Over the 40 years, Nrityageet dance theatre productions have received a number of awards of excellence in the arts, inclusive of a national award, the Medal of Service, for “Sustained and Outstanding Contribution to the Cultural Mosaic of Guyana.”
