On an invitation from the Maharashtrian Mandal in Israel, a 14-member Lavni troupe from Pune under the banner of "Nakharel Naari" visited the country and staged four performances in the last week of August.
"It was for the first time this folk art performance was presented in theatres of Israel with regular booking of tickets. While the Maharashtrians settlers poured in large numbers, almost 25 per cent spectators for the shows comprised Israelis," said Varun Kamble who conducted the group.
Kamble is also one of the founders of the famous "Choufula" group of Lavni dancers that performs in various cities.
"The troupe that consisted of six female dancers and equal number of traditional instrumentalists mixed the core Lavni performance with a sprinkling of peasant dance to please the Israeli audience as the country has a distinct agricultural ethos," he said.
"The Israeli audience asked us various questions about origin of the Lavni folk dance and its evolution and spread from rural to urban regions," Kamble added.(MORE)
