The 11th edition of Pragjyoti International Dance Festival (PIDF), replete with performances, a film screening and panel discussions on art, music and dance will be organised at Sri Sri Madhavadeva International Auditorium, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, here on January 31 and February 1.

The PIDF was announced by national award winning Xattriya danseuse and festival director Anwesa Mahanta for Kalpa, a Society for Promotion of Literature, Art, Culture and Social Harmony, at Guwahati Press Club on Monday.

Mahanta said, “The celebration of 11 glorious years of our festival has been curated with a wider cause of addressing the various concerns of dance — its practice and pedagogy, challenges and perspectives, training and research and other issues of social relevance. With a firm conviction to cultural identity, sharing a rich legacy of arts, the festival reaches out to the youth with a message of social harmony and cultural convergence through arts.”

The inaugural day will feature a performance of pung cholam by artistes of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal, followed by a Bharatanatyam performance by noted dancer Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya. Sangita Chatterjee will present a Kathak recital.

In keeping with the PIDF’s educative component, this year, the festival has joined hands with the department of English, Gauhati University and Assam Down Town University for a wider youth outreach.

Distinguished scholar and columnist Arshiya Sethi will deliver an illustrated talk on Tightly Plaited: Relationship between Literature, Dance and Indian Dramaturgy on the opening day at 11am in the department of English, Gauhati University.