Kalabati Dance Festival 2026 Redefines Classical Dance Experience in Kolkata

• The 'Kalabati Dance Festival 2026' at Gyan Manch on February 11, 2026, challenged the notion that people don't buy tickets for dance in the social media age.
• Organized by Manipuri Nartanalaya Kolkata, the festival featured eminent artists from four major classical dance traditions: Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, and Manipuri.
• Bimbavati Devi, daughter of Guru Bipin Singh and Kalabati Devi, initiated the festival to honor her mother and promote classical Manipuri dance.
• Performances included Rajdeep Banerjee's Bharatanatyam 'Sthapana' reinterpreting Bharata from Ramayana, Subikash Mukherjee's Odissi 'Sarada Bandana' and 'Savinaya Pallav', Paramita Maitra's Kathak, and Kankana Singh & Parna Chakraborty's Manipuri 'Nasadiya – The Meandering Energy'.
• Despite funding and publicity challenges, Bimbavati Devi aims to foster appreciation for classical dance as a spiritual practice, hoping audiences will embrace ticketed festivals in the future.