National Classical Dance Academy, Hassan, has organised 47th National Dance Festival on July 10 (Sunday) between 9 am and 10 pm at Jaganmohan Palace Auditorium in city. Disclosing this at a press meet at Pathrakarthara Bhavan here, Academy Secretary Dr. Swathi P. Bharadwaj said that the Academy has been organising the dance festival from past several years in order to encourage and preserve Indian classical dance forms which are disappearing.

About 8 to 10 classical dance forms in India are on the verge of extinction. In order to preserve them, the Academy has been organising the dance festival where people aged above 60 years are also taking part, she said adding that over  350 artistes from across the country will take part in the festival and present their dance forms.  Senior Advocate O. Sham Bhat will inaugurate the programme. Noted spiritual thinker Dr. Shelvapillai Iyengar, Businessmen K.R. Satyanarayan and K.R Uday Kumar, Senior Dancers Suma Ramprasad and M.S. Shashikala will be the chief guests, she said.

Academy National Co-ordinator M.K. Prakash and Narasimha Murthy were present at the press meet.