Mayurbhanj Chhau Dance Performance | MAYUR ART CENTRE | TEDxXIMB

In the tale of 'Mahabbharata' Abhimanyu's heriocs are well known. In this dance the dancers depict Abhimanyu breaking into the 'Chakravyuh', a circular war strategy. As Abhimanyu did not know how to come out of the Chakravyuh, he is in the end mercilessly killed by his enemies, the Kauravas. The dance depicts the action and the eventual sorrow in its unique style. Mayur Art Centre, Bhubaneswar, is a unique one-of-its-kind institution in the state of Odisha established in 1980. It is devoted to the training, preservation, performance and research of Mayurbhanj style of Chhau dance. The group has been trained by eminent Gurus and has performed all over the country and abroad in countries such as Holland, Portugal, France, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania etc. since the past two decades. Chhau dance is an Indian tribal martial dance which is popular in the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is mainly performed during regional festivals.One of the three subgenres of the dance, based on the place of its origin and development is Mayurbhanj Chhau. This is the style of Chhau where masks are not used. In 2010, the Chhau dance was inscribed in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx