This kathak performance in Mumbai will pay tribute to the late Pandit Durga Lal

Vaibhav Arekar at a previous performance

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of her guru the late Pandit Durga Lal, kathak danseuse Uma Dogra will host a special performance by Vaibhav Arekar at Shivaji Park tomorrow. "The 75th birth anniversary is a key point and a milestone. His [Pandit Durga Lal] work has influenced many young dancers through generations. If he were around today, Kathak would be heralded in a much different way."

The performance is a premiere of Arekar's choreographed narrative in Bharatanatyam, titled Varsha-Harvest of Lost Dreams. The performance views the monsoon through the eyes of a farmer waiting in hope. "I wanted to dedicate the performance to Pandit Durga Lal, of whom I have heard such great things from all the masters," Arekar shares. The dancer explains further, "This show, Varsha, is a farmer's connection with the monsoon.

It is told from his point of view. We were working on ways to connect to the monsoon. The wait for the monsoon is different for an urban child like me, or a farmer in the heartlands of India. I wanted to bring that expression to the stage."