Grace in Motion: NATYA VRIKSHA Hosts World Dance Day Festival 2025 at IIC
NATYA VRIKSHA proudly presents the 18th edition of the World Dance Day Festival 2025 in collaboration with the India International Centre (IIC). Conceived and curated by Padmashri Geeta Chandran, the two-day celebration will take place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April at IIC, New Delhi.
This year’s festival continues NATYA VRIKSHA’s legacy as the first institution in India to mark formal celebrations on World Dance Day. Over the years, it has evolved into a vibrant cultural platform featuring performances, lectures, workshops, and discussions, spotlighting both the heritage and future of Indian dance. What sets the WDD Fest apart is its inclusive spirit—embracing and presenting all styles and forms of dance, encouraging participation and dialogue across traditions.
Curated by Padmashri Geeta Chandran, the festival continues to draw wide participation—from young dancers and seasoned gurus to scholars, art connoisseurs, and curious first-time audiences. What makes the WDD FEST truly distinctive is its inclusive embrace of all dance forms—classical, contemporary, and experimental—offering a rare and holistic celebration of movement and dance aesthetics. This year’s line-up includes Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, and Odissi artists, offering audiences a rare opportunity to witness the rising stars of Indian dance.
A key highlight of Day I (Saturday 26 April) is the conferral of the 6th NATYA VRIKSHA Lifetime Achievement Award to SPIC MACAY and its visionary founder, Dr. Kiran Seth, in recognition of their tireless efforts in preserving and promoting India’s cultural heritage amongst youth. Dr. Seth, a Padma Shri awardee, academician, and cultural reformer, founded SPIC MACAY in 1977 and has since transformed it into a movement of national importance, impacting millions of students.
In his words, “This honour is not mine alone—it belongs to every student who has sat in awe before an artist, to every volunteer who has given their time to SPIC MACAY, and to every institution that believes in the power of the arts to shape minds and lives. In a world of constant change, classical arts anchor us to something deeper, something timeless.”
The festival opens each day with a Movement and Dance Aesthetics Workshop by the legendary Tanusree Shankar, free for trained dancers (with minimum five years of training) across styles. Internationally acclaimed for her choreography rooted in the Uday Shankar style, Tanusree Shankar has performed in over 40 countries and is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
The schedule of events is as follows:
This year’s two-day celebration unfolds as follows:
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
DAY I – Saturday, 26 April 2025
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Movement and Dance Aesthetics Workshop by the legendary Tanusree Shankar
Free workshop open to dancers trained in all styles (minimum five years of training required).
4:00 p.m.
NATYA VRIKSHA Lifetime Achievement Award 2025
Presented to SPICMACAY and its visionary founder, Dr. Kiran Seth, for their outstanding contribution to preserving India’s intangible cultural heritage through youth engagement.
(The award includes an angavastram and a cash honour of ₹1,00,000)
Previous awardees include Smt. Shanta Serbjeet Singh, Shri Avinash Pasricha, Shri Brij Mohan Gupta, Smt. Kamalini Dutt, and Smt. Leela Venkataraman.
Reflecting on the recognition, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Kiran Seth shared his gratitude and vision for the future of cultural engagement. He said, “This honour is not mine alone—it belongs to every student who has sat in awe before an artist, to every volunteer who has given their time to SPIC MACAY, and to every institution that believes in the power of the arts to shape minds and lives. In a world of constant change, classical arts anchor us to something deeper, something timeless. I receive this award with humility, and with renewed commitment to take this movement to every corner of India.”
4:15 p.m.
Lecture: “Dancing Away” by Shri Ashok Vajpeyi
A poetic and philosophical reflection on how dance, while rooted in the present, opens portals to imagination, memory, and transcendence.
6:30 p.m. onwards
Young Dancers Festival – Evening Performances
– Madhura Bhrushundi – Bharatanatyam
– Dheerendra Tiwari – Kathak (7:45 p.m.)
DAY II – Sunday, 27 April 2025
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Movement and Dance Aesthetics Workshop (Day 2) by Tanusree Shankar
Free workshop open to dancers trained in all styles (minimum five years of training required).
4:15 p.m.
“AVATARANA – The Story of Natya”
A theatrically witty retelling of a 2,500-year-old saga, scripted and performed by Smt. Ramaa Bharadvaj, exploring the divine origins of Indian dance through humour and insight.
6:30 p.m. onwards
Young Dancers Festival – Evening Performances
– Abhinaya Nagajothy – Kuchipudi
– Shashwati Garai Ghosh – Odissi (7:45 p.m)
Curator of this legendary festival, Padmashri Geeta Chandran, Founder-President, NATYA VRIKSHA says, “World Dance Day is a moment to pause and celebrate what dance brings into our lives, not just technique or tradition, but emotion, truth, and transformation. This festival is our offering to the art, and to the young dancers who will carry it forward.”
As the World Dance Day Festival enters its 18th year, NATYA VRIKSHA continues to uphold its founding vision: to make dance not just a performance, but a conversation across generations, forms and cultures. With each passing edition, the festival grows not just in scale, but in depth, creating a space for reflection, recognition, and renewal in the world of dance.
