Cultural Fest on India's performing arts concludes with grand finale

Bonn, May 23 (UNI) With a highly fascinating dance performance by the Samudra Performing Arts from Trivandrum and the staging of ''Othello: A Play in Black and White'' by the Indian Shakespeare Company from Delhi, the Biennale Bonn cultural festival focusing on India's contemporary performing arts had a grand finale here Sunday night.

The Baul musicians from West Bengal struck a musical note to the concluding events of this unique show of Indian contemporary theatres, dance, music, works of art, literature and films by giving a concert in Bonn's Opera House and entertained a large audience with their vocal and instrumental music and dances. ''Agra Basar'', a drama by Habib Tanvir, once again demonstrated that some of India's theatre classics are still very lively and full of vitality.

Elsewhere in Bonn, a large gathering listened to the renowned Indian author Vikram Seth reading from his new book ''Two lives'', winding up the literary segment of the Biennale festival.

Around 80 different programmes were shown at more than 20 different theatres, concert halls, museums, auditoriums and other locations in the city during the last nine days.

A nine-member dance troupe from the Samudra Performing Arts thrilled a sell-out crowd in a theatre here by presenting its ''Sound of Silence'', a dance production which depicted the ''wheel of life'', the cycle of birth, death and re-birth pre-determined by God, in a dance of extravagant dialogues. The highlight was "Mallakhamb", a dance on a rope which hangs above the stage, symbolising the coming in of energy into the body at the time of re-birth and its departure at the time of death.

The audience watched the one-hour performance in pin-drop silence and at the end expressed their great appreciation with a standing ovation. They further expressed their interest in the production by participating in a discussion with the artistes on their dance and on the contemporary performing arts in Kerala.

''The response from the Biennale audience has been quite overwhelming,'' Mr. Madhu Gopi Nath, one of the two directors of the ''Sound of Silence,'' told UNI after their performance. He said it was a great honour for the Samudra Performing Arts to participate in this unique presentation of India's contemporary performing arts.

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