Dhaka’s urban pulse met the heartbeat of Bengal on Friday and Saturday at the Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban in Dhanmondi, as Otithi unveiled Mayapraan, a sweeping folk dance spectacle that transformed the stage into a living canvas of rhythm, colour and heritage.
Directed by choreographer Arthy Ahmed, the production brought together more than a hundred performers, many of whom were neither trained dancers nor professionals. Child performers charmed the audience with their unfiltered energy, while adults carried the quiet weight of long-held dreams.
For many, the stage became the realisation of aspirations nurtured over years. The emotional release translated into performances that left the fully packed auditorium visibly moved.
The eighth production of the Arthy Ahmed Dance Academy, ‘Mayapraan’ continued its mission to build community through collective performance and reconnect urban audiences with Bengal’s folk traditions. The showcase highlighted rhythms, gestures and narratives often absent from city life, offering Dhaka residents an immersive experience of rural cultural memory.
Responding to growing public interest, Otithi presented four shows on December 5 and 6, with performances at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm on both days. Admission was free with prior registration via Otithi’s website. Organisers encouraged audiences to celebrate local culture by wearing taant and jamdani sarees for women, and cotton panjabis for men.
The programme featured a diverse selection of folk pieces, including ‘Milon Hobe Koto Dine’, ‘Aaj Keno Mor Pran Sojoni Go’, ‘Lilabali’, a recreated traditional wedding segment titled ‘Ranga Paye Konna Chole’, ‘Sohag Chand Bodoni’, ‘Konthe Gelo Kanduri’, ‘Boal Macher Lomba Lomba Dari’, ‘Aasmanete Dewa Dake’, ‘Ami Robona Robona Grihe’, ‘O Mui Na Shunum’ and ‘Ami Takdum Takdum Bajai’.
Performers of all ages, professions and backgrounds took to the stage to introduce themselves and share their personal journeys. Mother-daughter duos and teacher-student pairs performed together, while families, including mothers, mothers-in-law, sons-in-law and children, cheered them on from the audience.
After their energetic and captivating performances, the performers spoke briefly about rediscovering cultural identity through movement, embracing the joy of learning folk dance as adult and gaining renewed confidence performing wholeheartedly before a full house.
For Otithi and the Arthy Ahmed Dance Academy, Mayapraan marked another step in cultivating an inclusive artistic space, where everyday people can reconnect with heritage and pursue creative aspirations without hesitation.
