NCPA Mumbai Dance Season 2026 showcases India’s folk and classical dance heritage

The NCPA Mumbai Dance Season 2026 returns as a vibrant month-long celebration of India’s rich and diverse dance heritage. Launched in 2018 in collaboration with Mumbai’s dance community, the annual initiative has grown into an important cultural platform that brings together performances, workshops, seminars and talks across the city. By creating space for dialogue between varied dance traditions and audiences, the season reflects the evolving yet deeply rooted landscape of Indian movement arts.

Lok Gatha and classical finale headline NCPA Mumbai Dance Season 2026

Among the highlights this year is Lok Gatha, featuring Seraikella Chhau by Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra on February 12, 2026, at 6.30 pm at the Experimental Theatre. Presented as part of the NCPA’s continued commitment to preserving tribal and folk traditions, the performance spotlights the distinctive masked dance form from Jharkhand. Known for its stylised technique and expressive restraint, Seraikella Chhau has its origins in martial practices and community rituals. Over time, it has developed a refined vocabulary drawing from mythology, nature and everyday life.

Inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, Seraikella remains closely tied to its cultural roots while continuing to find relevance on contemporary stages. Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra, founded by Guru Lingaraj Acharya, has played a key role in sustaining and presenting this tradition to wider audiences. The evening’s repertoire will include devotional works and episodes from the Mahabharata, accompanied by traditional musicians.

The season will culminate in a grand finale curated by Kashmira Trivedi, a senior Bharatanatyam performer and founder of Takshashila Nrityakala Mandir, and Dr Suman Badami, a Bharatanatyam dancer-scholar and Director of the Natya Vimarsha Centre for Dance. The concluding evening brings together Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak and Mohiniyattam in solo and group presentations, ending with a collective piece centred on devotion and shared tradition — a fitting close to a celebration of India’s enduring dance legacy. The finale will be held on February 15 at 4 pm at Tata Theatre.

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