Maya Bengal in Motion : Tagore, Toes and Timeless Twirls
Experience the magic of Maya Bengal in Motion: Timeless Tagore, a dazzling celebration of Rabindranath Tagore through traditional South Asian dance, hosted by MW Bangladesh and Maya, held in Dhaka.
On the evening of 25 April, the Aloki Convention Centre in Dhaka was positively bursting at the seams—not with kachchi and Shorisha Ilish, mind you, but with rhythm, poetry, and a fair bit of magic. In celebration of International Dance Day, MW Bangladesh magazine teamed up with Maya, the natural wellness brand of Square Toiletries Ltd, to host the second edition of Maya Bengal in Motion—a spectacle that was less of a run-of-the-mill performance and more of a soulful soirée that would’ve had even Tagore himself tapping his foot in approval.
This year’s theme, Timeless Tagore, did precisely what it said on the tin. It paid homage to the great bard of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore, by draping his literary genius in ghungroos and grace. South Asia’s traditional dance forms took centre stage, offering a masterclass in how art can pirouette past the boundaries of time and bring a tear to your eye—and not just because someone stepped on your foot.
Now, one might say launching such an event takes more than a bit of pluck—it requires vision, guts, and a good deal of coordination (both on and off the dance floor). Maya Bengal in Motion was born of just such gumption: a grand idea to give local artists a proper stage—not just a metaphorical one, mind you—and a chance to shine their socks off. It’s less about jazz hands and more about heart, heritage, and a whole lot of heaving bosoms and expressive eyebrows.
The evening began with a performance so stirring, it could’ve woken the most cynical of souls from their existential slumber. Anisul Islam Hero (with a name like that, how could he not be brilliant?) and Mehbooba Mahnoor Chandni waltzed us into Tagore’s world with a deftness that made the rest of the world wonder why we ever gave up on those childhood dance classes.
And it didn’t stop there. The stage soon became a carousel of luminaries—Sadia Islam Mou, Sabrina Shafi Nisa, Benazir Salam’s troupe, Samina Husain Prema, Anika Kabir Shokh, Tamanna Rahman and their respective ensembles—all sashaying, gliding, and twirling with such precision that even the chandeliers seemed to sway in sync. Tagore’s themes—love, loss, liberation—were not just performed, they were lived.
A few thoughtful words from Anjan Chowdhury, MD of Square Toiletries Ltd, and Rumana Chowdhury, Editor and Publisher of MW Bangladesh, brought the whole affair back to earth. They reminded us, in no uncertain terms, that while the world often feels like it’s going pear-shaped, art remains a jolly good way to bring us all back together—one chassé at a time.
What made the evening truly special, however, was its atmosphere of togetherness. It wasn’t just about watching dancers flutter about like poetic butterflies—it was about feeling something deep in your bones. The audience didn’t merely sit back with arms folded and brows furrowed; they felt, they shared, and they soared—carried aloft by the same spirit that once inspired Tagore to pick up his pen and change the world.
So yes, the world may have moved on from gramophones and ghazals to gadgets and GIFs—but Maya Bengal in Motion: Timeless Tagore proved, with more grace than a swan in silk slippers, that true genius never goes out of style.
Fancy that.
Sources : The Daily Star
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