Classical Indian forms, contemporary urban styles, diverse choreography and emerging artists take centrestage at the ongoing nine-day Hyderabad Dance Festival (HDF). Set to culminate with Rang-e-Hyderabad on April 26, the finale celebrates Indian classical dance traditions with 17 master artists.

Organised by Vaibhavkumar Modi, Harsha Maheshwari and Mohit Sridhar and supported by the Government of Telangana, the festival features workshops, curated performances and a zero-waste festival at nine venues featuring nearly 70 artists from Hyderabad and beyond.

Second editiion

The Festival in its second edition — the first edition held in 2021 — is an attempt to celebrate the tradition with a bit of innovation, says kathak dancer and co-founder Vaibhavkumar Modi. “We respect people who have made a difference to the cultural fabric but also recognise the efforts of youth. The dance landscape has been constantly evolving with new performers and rappers bringing street styles and also those from the spectrum,” shares Vaibhavkumar.

The upcoming International Dance Day on April 29 is not the only inspiration to conceive the festival after a gap of five years. “The city has Taramati Baradri, a monument dedicated to dance but we do not have a cultural IP that speaks about dance or creates an economy or ecosystem,” explains Vaibhavkumar.

Boosts economy

The festival aims to create a supportive eco-system for creative arts and also boosts economies of other sub-sectors like culinary and garment industries which are dependent on it. “Shows of this scale also support people dependent on creative arts, like those who prepare the food we dancers eat before a performance, artists who put mehendi on our hands and tailors who stitch our costumes. It even makes a difference to the person who sells balloons outside the venue and boosts his income.”

At Rang-e-Hyderabad on April 26, visitors get to experience different colours of Hyderabad including a curated bazaar by independent businesses. With a focus on performances, workshops and literary events, the day-long event includes book releases, book reading sessions, film screenings, and Hindustani musical presentations.

Hyderabad dance festival is on at nine venues. Finale on April 26, 11am to 10pm, at District 150, Knowledge city. For the schedule, check @hyddancefestival on Instagram.