Since its inception in 1991, Kathak exponent Uma Dogra’s Raindrops Festival of Indian Classical Dance has given young dancers a platform to showcase their talents. At a time when the performing arts community has been hit hard, the founder of Samved Society for Performing Arts shares that such platforms are more important than ever for budding dancers. “It has been a hard time for young artistes. In such a scenario, a festival like Raindrops holds special significance. So, it was important for me to organise the festival this year not just for the sake of continuity, but also because the young dancers’ fraternity needs this support,” points out Dogra about the three-day virtual festival starting today.

In its 31st edition, the festival is dedicated to Dogra’s mother and her guruma, both of whom passed away recently. It will feature, among others,  Vaidehi Rele Lal (Bharatanatyam), Santosh Ram and Samir Kumar Panigrahi (Odissi), Ayana Mukherjee (Kuchipudi) and Anwesa Mahanta (Sattriya).