Hindustani music, dance fest Virasat to reach remote areas

The annual festival of hindustani classical music and dance VIRASAT, conducted by Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture (SPIC MACAY) is set to reach interior and remote areas of the country.

"The agenda of this year's festival is dedicated to the traditional art forms with an inaugural performance by vocalist Girija Devi. Noted danseuse Malvika Sarukkai will also be performing on the first day," says SPIC MACAY chairman Kiran Seth.

The event begins on September 6 and is scheduled to go on till December 20. Around 3,500 programmes have been lined up in schools and colleges in the national capital as well as other parts of the country over the next four months. "Government schools which have limited infrastructure is our target this year and by year 2020 our mission is to reach each and every student in the country covering around 17 lakh institutions," says Vikas Nagrare who is the India head of SPIC MACAY.

Hailing the not-for-profit organisation's initiative in promoting the classical arts, Malavika Sarukkai says, "SPIC MACAY is continuing a tradition which has a small space in the world," Making a distinction between "entertainment" and classical art forms, she says "entertainment is for that moment, classical dance and music is something which you take away".

There is a need to overhaul the current education system with emphasis on culture points out Nagrare. "A paradigm shift is needed which will bring in a holistic change, our classical arts have that power to propagate all round development of children," he says.