When Vani brought the Odissi to Dar

It was a concert that hundreds had looked forward to from the moment the announcement was made, partly because it was a rare spectacle and secondly it was the first time that the venue was to host an Odissi dancer.

The audience at the Indian Cultural Centre was expectant and ecstatic as they waited for the show to kick off.

And when she finally hit the stage, Vani Madhav took her audience through a two-hour musical journey that left them in applause.

With over 25 years of experience coupled with 15 years of teaching experience the Orissa born dancer left every reveller at the grounds gasping in awe as she gracefully danced.

The Odissi, is a traditional dance originating in the temples of the state of Orissa in Eastern India.

“It was not easy for me to put such a performance.

I was a bit nervous in the beginning, but as the crowd got excited with my dancing, it gave me the vibe and energy to go on,” said Madhav at the end of the performance.

Every moment she finished a dance, the jubilant crowd gave her a thunderous applause and at some points a standing ovation.

On this day there was more ‘Made in Indian’ to be sampled.  Apart from the dance and music there was also spicy Indian Cuisine that revellers sampled.

“This will be a night to remember in my life, her perfomance was simply breathtaking, I had not seen the Odissi for a long time, it is just nostalgic to watch her perform it,” noted Nishad Sulemainjee a reveller from Masaki.

Showcasing style, versatility and energy that is rarely exhibited at live performances around, Vani went through the two-hour performance without a break.

“Momentarily, this place became like one of the cities in India, I had not expected this and I am equally grateful for the turn out and the support.”

Describing the Odissi dance, Madhav says it is a unique way of expressing traditions and customs of India, as they have been passed from one generation to another orally.

Madhav was on that night accompanied by three men; one playing the harmonium, flute and the last one a traditional pakhawja.

According to her, the dance is fun and entertaining to watch, while the number of people who turned up was an added motivation especially with the fact that most of them were from the Asian community.

“I’m pleased that I reminded them of home tonight, I intend to do the same in Zanzibar.”

Madhav has earned the cynosure of the media and critics as she has been extraordinarily brilliant during the last decade and a half.

Currently, she is based in Gurgaon, NCR-New Delhi, running an Odissi Dance Institute “Nritya Dhara.”

In her career, Madhav who was in the country courtesy of the Indian Cultural Center in Dar es Salaam in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, has a Gold Medal which she scooped at the National Youth Festival held under the aegis of Madurai Kamaraj University.

She also has a silver medal under her belt which she won at the East Zone Inter University Youth Festival held at Shantiniketan and Gauhati.

Madhav also featured as a judge on International Dance carnival in Gwalior in 2012 and 2013 consecutively.

She made her debut at the age of six under the tutelage of Guru Gajendra Panda. Currently Vani lives in Bangalore.

The Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Debnath Shaw, was part of the audience and according to him, his office is closely working with the Arts and Performance Department at the University of Dar es Salaam in teaching the Odissi dance .

“We are so delighted to have had her here tonight, we have spoken with the University of Dar es Salaam, we’re looking forward to bringing instructors and dancers from India to teach the Odissi,” he said.

Madhav’s performance in Dar was part of the events that took place to commemorate India’s 68th independence anniversary.

“Her performance was just a teaser of what we’re looking forward to,” said the high commissioner.

For his part, Prof Hermas Mwansoko, the Director of Culture Development at the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports was grateful with the  initiative, saying the government was ready to work with India on the arts and cultural fronts.