By Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
Dehradun, 30 Sep: Valley of Words, Literature and Arts festival, has announced its shortlist for the ‘Iti Nritya’ finalists, 2024.
Shalini Rao, Curator of the event said, “With such strong competition, we have selected five finalists, but only the first three will be performing at the flagship festival in Dehradun due to time constraints. We will, however, strive to provide the remaining two finalists with as much exposure as possible.”
The following are Iti Nritya shortlisted artists for 2024:
Sandip Kundu, a Kuchipudi dancer from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has been learning Kuchipudi for the past 10 years under Biraj Roy. In addition, he holds a senior diploma in Sattriya under Sreemayee Borah. Sandip has won numerous awards and a dance scholarship and has performed extensively.
Ratri Manik, a Manipuri dancer from Narayangarh, West Bengal, is a disciple of Prof Dr Sruti Bandopadhay. Ratri is also trained in Bharatanatyam, Rabindranritya, Mohiniyattam, and folk dances of Bengal. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Manipuri Dance at Sangit Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan.
Kirti Kurande, a Kathak dancer from Pune, has been training with Pta. Maneesha Sathe for the last 16 years. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kathak from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts, Pune, where she graduated with a gold medal. Kirti has performed widely, both, as a soloist and with her mentor’s troupe and currently works as a video editor.
Himansee Katragadda, a Kuchipudi dancer from Warangal, Telangana, trained under B Sudheer Rao and Kala Ratna Dr Sathyapriya Ramana. A BTech graduate in Computer Science, she has performed extensively both nationally and internationally. Himansee was named the Young Achiever of Telangana by the Government of India in 2023 and has received numerous awards.
Simran Kashyap is the final finalist. A Kathak dancer and teacher specialising in the Lucknow Gharana, she trained under Dr Akanksha Shrivastava. Simran holds a postgraduate degree in Kathak and has been teaching dance for over five years. She has performed at several prestigious venues and has won many awards.
