Background

Under its existing scheme of Establishment of National Centres for Specialised training in Dance and Music, Sangeet Natak Akademi mooted project of support to Chhau Dances in 1991 and after detailed survey the project was launched in 1994. Under the project training, production and performance support has been provided to large number of artists and students of Mayurbhanj Chhau and Seraikella Chhau at Baripada and Rairangpur in Orissa, Seraikella in Jharkhand and in New Delhi. Training in Chhau dances, music, masks making etc. have been going on at different centers and regular performances of Chhau groups have been sponsored in various cities of India. The traditional annual festival of Chaitra Parva associated with the art has also been funded.

The Chhau Project has resulted in consolidating the art and technique of this tradition hitherto scattered and formation of well trained repertories of dancers and musicians. The dance which was languishing due to neglect and local poverty has been reinvigorated.

One center of Mayurbhanj Chhau is going on at Baripada which is coordinating all training programmes and production activities of Mayurbhanj Chhau. The Jharkhand Government has offered infrastructural facilities for setting up the Chhau Centre at Jamshedpur. The Establishment of the Chhau Centre would be a logical development and upgradation of ongoing project of Support to Chhau Dance of the Eastern region.

Projection for XI Plan

The Chhau Centre at Baripada and Jamshedpur will lead to major expansion of the project and support to Chhau Dances. During this period training, production performance support to Purulia Chhau Dance of West Bengal will also be extended and study and support of known substyles of Chhau at Kharsama, Nilgiri and Manbhum will be undertaken. Annual Festival of Chhau will also be conducted by the Chhau Centre. By the end of the plan period, the Chhau Centre will become Akademi’s focal Centre for training, production, performance, documentation, reference and research support to the entire field of Chhau dance covering three States of Orissa, Jharkahnd and West Bengal.