Month-Long Dance Jubilee in Mumbai by NCPA 2025: Honoring Dance, Fellowship, and Innovation
The Blossoming of the NCPA Mumbai Dance Season
In 2016, an idea hatched by Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, Head of Dance - Programming at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), took root and has since blossomed into the much-anticipated NCPA Mumbai Dance Season. Initially conceived as a WhatsApp group to prevent scheduling conflicts among the city's dancers, this initiative has now gained the support of the prestigious NCPA.
Dasgupta recalls the genesis of the idea with a sense of serendipity: "Life can sometimes surprise us in the most delightful ways." At the time, she sought a practical solution to a common problem plaguing Mumbai's dance community - the clashing of performance schedules among various dance genres and venues. Enter the dance WhatsApp group, initially comprising about 50 of the city's dancers and organizers. It soon became a hub of ideas, fostering creativity and nurturing talent while expanding the reach of dance as an art form.
From this fertile ground emerged the Mumbai Dance Season, now in its sixth year. Dasgupta explains the reasoning behind the decision to create a season instead of a short-term festival: "The culture of 'sabhas' in South India has nurtured numerous talented artists over the years. Cities like Chennai are known for their vibrant dance and music seasons. Such events provide a platform for talent and audience engagement, fostering the growth and appreciation of dance. We wanted to create a similar platform in Mumbai."
The Mumbai Dance Season, initially a ten-day event, has expanded over the years to encompass nearly a month of live performances, lectures, demonstrations, workshops, and outreach programs. To make the season more accessible and engaging, the format was designed to be hyper-local. Various dance institutions across the city were encouraged to host programs featuring local and guest performers while reserving a portion of time for their own presentations.
The NCPA's backing and the generous support of Tata Investment Corporation have been instrumental in the Mumbai Dance Season's success. Despite the shift to virtual platforms during the pandemic, the season's essence lies in its in-person experience, emphasizing the importance of live performances and audience interaction.
This year's Mumbai Dance Season is set to begin on January 9th at the Experimental Theatre. The opening performances, curated by Kathak exponent Manisha Jeet and Odissi exponent Nivedita Mukherjee, promise an enticing blend of folk and creative dances. Throughout January, audiences can look forward to a diverse array of events, including productions that combine Indian martial arts with the ancient game of chaturanga, Kathak performances showcasing temple and court traditions, and collaborative programs between poets and dancers.
The season will conclude on February 2nd with a tribute to India's rich classical dance tradition. Curated by renowned scholars and dancers Dr. Malti Agneeswaran and Dr. Jayashree Rajagopalan, the event will delve into the historical events that have shaped and united India. Inspired by the belief that the arts are a means for younger generations to learn from their elders, the NCPA has provided a platform for performances and cultural exchanges across the city, thereby ensuring that the art of dance continues to thrive in Mumbai.
In the context of the Mumbai Dance Season's expansion, the championing of sustainable living could be introduced as a new initiative, offering workshops and outreach programs focused on sustainable-living practices in home-and-garden settings, allowing dancers and artists to embrace a more eco-friendly lifestyle as part of an integrated, holistic approach to their work and personal lives, thereby promoting a responsible, sustainable lifestyle that resonates with the growing trend of fusion between the performative and everyday living experiences.
In commemoration of the Mumbai Dance Season's cultural exchanges, a lifestyle magazine could feature an article on the impact of sustainable-living practices within the dance community, showcasing interviews with artists who have incorporated eco-friendly practices into their lifestyles and homes while highlighting the aesthetic appeal and harmony inherent in a sustainable-living lifestyle, suggesting that this cultural shift toward a more environmentally-conscious dance community not only supports the art form's growth but also serves as a powerful example of the transformative potential of sustainable-living practices for a broader audience.
