Amala Shankar, head of the Uday Shankar India Cultural Center, Kolkata, presented 'Memories of a Divine Dancer' with some compositions of Uday Shankar like Astra Puja, a dance from Rajasthan where the women send off their men to battle with prayers and good wishes; Snanam, where young girls are cavorting in the water; Karthikeya was another original composition with a lone dancer- the young boy Karthikeya takes his parents blessings before going to fight the demon Taraka. This brief number conveyed with a few movements the earnestness and courage of the boy with a military bearing and a restless spirit. The items were lively and spoke of choreography that sought to be simple and appealing, with instrumental music suggestive of the theme. There was hardly any footwork as we know it, but the movements were graceful, and reminiscent of the Manipuri style. There were no ankle bells or elaborate costuming either. The best part of the evening was Missing You, a joint presentation of Amala, Mamata and Tanusree in memory of Uday Shankar, with Ananda Shankar's music composition of the same name. Choreographed by the matriarch of the family, Amala, and using the movements created by her husband, it was a group presentation with Amala's students as well. It was incredible to watch 82-year-old Amala. Her carriage and flexibility belied her age, the same for her enthusiasm too.

Mamata Shankar who has established the Mamata Shankar Ballet Troupe, Kolkata, offered her compositions in 'Arghya'. It had more of the same style with modern themes. Dhitang Dhitang Bole, a popular patriotic Bengali hill song had the entire auditorium clapping to beat. It had lively, folksy steps that blended well with the foot-tapping music. Dreams Forever, a composition of Ananda Shankar recapitulated her father's choreographies. She closed with a very disturbing composition called Veil of Death. With the music by Ravi Shankar, Mamata highlighted the evils of drugs. While it sent a strong message of ruined young lives and sorrow, it was not by any long shot an aesthetic dance presentation. It was only a disturbing mime. The blood curling cries of the victims' families added to the morbidity. Unfortunate that such a pleasant presentation should end on such a morbid note.

Tanusree heads the Ananda Shankar Center for Performing Arts, Kolkata. Her style was peppered with the use of modern dance movements. The music was by her late husband, Ananda Shankar. She presented the different moods of the sky in a ballet, 'Akash'. Dancers were dressed according to the moods, sometimes richly to denote the grandeur of the sky, otherwise starkly in gray as in Storm. The romance between the richly costumed stars and the dark mysterious sky was an unusual interpretation in Night Sky. Excellent lighting denoted Suryoday, the morning sky. A final offering to Uday Shankar followed called 'Arpan', which brought the curtains down on an illuminating and informative journey.