Rhythms of Northeast India : A Tapestry of Tradition

By Anannya Mahanta

As a great person once said, "You can always carry your "Art" wherever you go." It was the 6th of June, 2025. I geared up and got ready for my first "Sattriya Dance" performance in London after leaving India for the United Kingdom post-marriage. It was at The Nehru Centre, 8 S Audley St in the central part of London, organised by "Luitporia Nasoni", a vibrant cultural organisation based in the UK.

Sattriya Dance has not just been an art form to me. It has been my pride, my identity; something I have been practising with my utmost devotion and dedication with my Adhyapak's blessings since I was three years old. In fact, this is one of the constant things of my life out of all the variables.

The show started at 6:30 pm(GMT+1). Before my performance began, I was sitting in the hall watching other dance presentations. When my turn came and the anchor announced my name, I looked around the space. It was a packed auditorium full of an art-enthusiastic audience. My performance slot was eight minutes long. In my assigned time-frame I gave my best to portray my dance act of "Krishna Vandana" with all my heart and joy choreographed by Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Awardee Adhyapak Naren Chandra Baruah with a little hope that if there are some section of people sitting in the audience who are still not aware about our rich and beautiful art-form "Sattriya Dance", they can atleast connect to it through my expressions, rhythm and movements. I don't know how far I did justice to the act, but the post-performance feedback from a few native people who were super keen to know more about me and my art form 'Sattriya' filled my heart with joy.

The evening also showcased other astonishing performances including Kathak by eminent and internationally acclaimed artist Meghranjani Medhi, Assam's folk dance 'Bihu', Manipuri folk dance 'Lai Haraoba', Borgeet presentation, creative dance performances on songs by evergreen Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha and Bhupen Hazarika, live acoustic singing and lot other striking performances to be mentioned. For a moment, I felt like I was in my own country, India, surrounded by my own community. The whole energy of the event was on a different level. In short, it was a beautiful experience for me to be performing at the prestigious Nehru Centre in London, just three weeks after arriving in the UK, which is adorned with British architectural design and royal vibes throughout!

The Nehru Centre in London has always been a cultural hub which serves as a platform for Indian culture in the broadest sense. It acts as the cultural wing of the High Commission of India in the UK.