New Delhi, October 04: Last year Ratan Thiyam's Manipuri drama Chinglong Mapan Tampak Ama enthralled the audience in the second edition of the 'The IIC Experience 2005 A Festival of the Arts' organized by the India International Centre here from October 20 to 26 when the play was premiered at the festival on the concluding day.

This year the Delhiites are to be treated to Priti Patel's 'The Throw of Dice' a choreographic composition in Manipuri Classical Dance to be premiered on the concluding day in the third edition of 'The IIC Experience 2006 A Festival of the Arts' to be held from October 6 to 12 here.

What is distinctive about this annual festival is the range it presentsdance, music, theatre, poetry readings, films, exhibitions, paintings, sculpture and special cuisine representing not only the cultural diversity of India but also from across the globe.

The festival spreads itself out in all venues of the India International Centre including its superb open air spaces � its lawns, gardens and plaza.

Malavika Sarukkai, the renowned Bharatnatyam dancer will, with her performance 'Adhbhuta The Vision of Wonder', open the festival.

A first ever all-women music concert called Vadya Sammelanam will also be held where Dr Suma Sudhindra on veena will lead the choir.

Other recitals will include Hindustani vocal by Rajsekhar Mansur, a Sufi concert by Mir singers from Bikaner and a western music presentation by band Indian Ocean.

There will be programmes for poets, too, with contemporary poetess reading their original works in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English.

Film buffs can see classics of renowned filmmakers, including Ingmar Bergman, Yasujiro Ozu, Federico Fellini, Zoltan Febri, Shyam Benegal, Majid Majidi and Walter Salles in this weeklong art and cultural festival.

'The Throw of Dice' to be presented by the Anjika Centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy, Kolkata and directed by Priti Patel features 21 Manipuri dancers and musicians.

Inspired by the game of dice in the Mahabharata, it is linked to the contemporary situation, especially in Manipur.

Priti Patel described the artistes of the dance presentation as 'SanaroiThe Players'.

The players on the stage are Th Imocha, L Rishikanta, Th Brucelee, L Rahul, Th Diamond, Th James, L Damodar, Ch Sitaljit, S Karuna, S Kanan, G Asharani, H Bidyalakshmi, B Thoibi, N Gautami, Kh Sandhyarani, L AbeAmita, Priti Patel with K Ratan (Pung), Y Gyaneswar (Pung), W Suraj Kumar (Vocal) and Mangangsana (Vocal and Pung).

About the production, Priti Patel stated, " Sanaba in Manipuri language means to play games, and we are all Sanaroi � players in these games.

It is in the nature of man to play games.

Games of power in his home, in his society, in his country.

Manipur today has become a playground.

Players control every aspect of the socio-economic structure.

It is the hour of their interests and their motives".

" The production is inspired by the games played by the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the Mahabharata, which portrays deceit, greed, the cause of the Great War of Kurukshetra and the sufferers are innocent women and children.

It is a need of the hour to raise our voices against terror", she added. Priti Patel was initiated into the world of dance at an early age.

She started learning Manipuri dance under the late Guru Vipin Singh.

She took rigorous training in both the Vaishnavite Raas Leela form of Manipuri dance tradition and the pre-Vaishnavite dance forms of Lai Haraobaa ritualistic dance form of Manipuri tradition and Thang �Ta the martial art form of Manipuri Dance tradition.

In November 1995, Priti Patel started Anjika Centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy in Kolkata as a school.

It has a dual curriculum � a school for Manipuri dance and also a school for Movement Therapy for children suffering from cerebral palsy.

Priti Patel underwent training from the Lesley College, Boston (USA) in Dance and Movement Therapy.

Over the years Priti Patel has received a number of awards in recognition of her contribution to this art form.

These include the Second Mrinalini Sarabhai Award for Excellence in Classical dance presented by Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad in 2000; and Uday Shankar Dance Award for the Best Dance Choreography for the year 1999-2000 for her composition CHITRA based on Rabindra Nath Tagore's poem.

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