Published on 12:00 AM, December 30, 2017

Pooja Sengupta (Dance Artist, Choreographer)

Dance is an art form that takes a lifetime of dedication to master, and Pooja Sengupta has dedicated herself to it from a very young age. Having represented Bangladesh in various international festivals, she has done the country proud on many occasions and is one of the most promising young dancers around. She is also the artistic director of Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre.

Plans for New Year's Eve

As I have a very hectic schedule, I want to relax and spend time with my family on that day. I will probably be at the year-end function at the Officer's Club.

My Biggest Achievements of 2017

2017 has opened new horizons for Turongomi. We were invited to three international festivals, amongst them; we couldn't attend the Asia Dance Arts Festival in Singapore due to delayed visa clearance. The International Dance Festival 2017 in Ninh Binh, Vietnam was an amazing experience. It is known as the “World Cup of Dance” and we successfully participated in it and won the “Most Certifying Team” recognition for our production Anamika Sagorkonna. The 11th Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) held in India was also remarkable. There we staged Waterness at the prestigious Kamani Auditorium, sharing the stage with seven Padma Awardees. However, I feel like my biggest achievement was that I have been able to create my audience and my productions are commercially successful too.

New Year's Resolution

I don't believe in having resolutions on a yearly basis. Establishing professionalism in the field of dance in Bangladesh is the ultimate goal of my life. 2017 has opened new opportunities for Turongomi, now we need to make the best utilization of them and move forward.

Something I'd like to change about myself in 2018

I really want to work on my patience. I tend to get impatient sometimes, especially when I see someone being insincere in my team.

A memorable moment of 2017

On September 16, 2017 I walked with the flag of Bangladesh on the red carpet of the opening ceremony of IDF 2017 in Vietnam. I was given this honor as the head of delegation of the Bangladesh team. This was a moment of pride and something that I can commemorate my entire life.

What I plan to achieve in 2018

As I previously said, I want to work towards bringing dance to a more mainstream position that would allow more people to take it as a career. We will also release our new production Amorabotir Tire (Amoraboti Awaits) next year. Hoping for the best!

 

Interviewed by Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz