At The all-encompassing Ananya Dance Festival this year. and you get to take a walk down the history of Kathak

Picture the Purana Qila, mudras and mantras, ghungroos, tablas and the rapture of a thousand ragas.u00a0Either it's the Gods, or the annual Ananya Dance Festival. Actually, a bit of both, since this autumn affair is all about fantasy, faith, and their forms in dance. The classical festival promises to lighten up your evenings this long weekend, and has enough to heal the soul.

Blown away: Contemporary Manipuri dance by Astad Deboo and his troupe

East is east
Organised by cultural group Seher, the five-day do will see an amalgamation of Odissi, Mohiniyattam, Nartan, Bharatanatyam and fusion dances by artists across the country. The opening will be marked by an Odissi performance by acclaimed danseuse Madhavi Mudgal. "We have worked on three distinct pieces one on the exploration of Orissa's percussional diversity, brought out through abstract dance, another from Kalidas Kumarsambhavam, which will highlight the natya or dramatic element, and the third an invocation to the sacred river Ganga," delves the artist.

Contempo kick
Apart from the evergreen classicals, there's a contemporary fusion performance by Astad Deboo and his troupe of eight 'Pung Cholom' drummers of Manipur. "Our performance, Rhythm Divine, is a highly refined classical dance number characterised by the modulation of sound from a soft whisper to a thunderous climax," explains Deboo.u00a0u00a0 Gopika Varma's neo-rendition of Mohiniyattam is also another recital to look forward to. This apart, sister duo Monisa-Nayak, along with Moumala, will perform Nartan, a musical journey that showcases the varieties of music used in Kathak during old, medieval and modern times.

The grand finale will witness Bharatanatyam veteran Rema Shrikant's maiden performance in the capital, where she attempts to showcase the dance form as the most effective vehicle to access the realm of Hindu myth and culture. Go, set your spirit free.

Ananya Dance Festival 2009
When: October 3-7
Where: Purana Qila grounds
Timings: 7 - 8.15 pm
Ring: 41628600
Entry: Free