Posted on 29 July 29026:
NCPA Umang Brings Odissi and Kathak Together in Two Evenings of Rising Classical Talent
Mumbai’s Godrej Dance Theatre will glow with devotion and rhythm on 5 August 2026 at 6.30 pm, as the NCPA presents another chapter of its Umang – Promising Artiste Series, an evening supported by HSBC India that turns the spotlight on classical dance’s next generation.
The night unfolds in two distinct movements. First comes Odissi Nrityargha, a recital by Dr. Pompi Paul and Rahul Roy that traces the form’s lyrical and devotional arc — opening with the invocatory Mangalacharan – Manikya Veena by Kalidasa, a Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Shyamala, drifting through the graceful Sringar Pallavi in Raga Ananda Bhairavi, lingering in the tender abhinaya of Kasturi Tilakam in praise of Lord Krishna, and closing in the thunder of the Shiv Tandava Stotram, where Shiva’s cosmic dance is rendered in vigorous, intricate rhythm.
Then the mood shifts to Rudra-Shakti: The Untamed Cosmic Energy, a Kathak production by Dr. Khushboo Panchal, Purva Bhalerao and Yaashi Garg.
Rooted in the Banaras gharana, it moves from sacred invocation through the imagery of Ardhanarishvara into swift footwork and expressive bandishes, building toward a joyous evocation of Shiva-Shakti union — the union of creation, transformation and balance.
Behind these performances stand artists of considerable distinction. Dr. Pompi Paul, an Odissi danseuse from Jalpaiguri, has carried the form across India, Europe and the SAARC nations, taught in Bali under the ICCR, and performed at the 2022 G20 Summit; her honours include the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman 2024, Shringar Mani, Odissi Jyoti, and has established the dance institutions Kalpodip and Kalatmika to promote Odissi in North Bengal.
Rahul Roy — her disciple of over fifteen years and a Doordarshan-graded artiste, brings his own accolades, including the Nritya Ragini Award, Odissi Shree and Odissi Pratibha.
Leading the Kathak evening, internationally acclaimed Dr. Khushboo Panchal trained across the Banaras and Kudu Singh gharanas and under tabla maestros Kalinath Mishra, and Rajendra Arya, later becoming gandabandh disciple to choreographer Saroj Khan. She founded Nrityaradhana Sangeet & Kala Mahavidyalaya in Ujjain, where Purva Bhalerao and Yaashi Garg, extensively trained under her guidance and performed at several prestigious cultural platforms in India and abroad.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai —born in 1969 as South Asia’s first multi‑venue cultural sanctuary—stands as India’s luminous stage of heritage and innovation. Here, music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography breathe alongside opera, jazz, and chamber symphonies.
With over 700 events each year, the NCPA is not merely a venue, but a living constellation of artistry, preserving tradition while unveiling the new.
Through Umang, the NCPA continues a quieter but vital mission: not just staging masters, but giving emerging classical dancers a stage worthy of their years of riyaz.
Umang at NCPA—where riyaz finds its rightful stage, and tradition flows forward, alive in every step.
