Kathmandu:

Everyone was in a jubilant mood, cheering the performers from different countries who presented their traditional dances at Khula Manch on June 7.

The talented performers from different countries like Latvia, the US, Costa Rica, Nigeria, India, Sri Lanka, Israel and Nepal gave enthralling dance performances which the crowd enjoyed throughout.

The artistes are here for the fourth International Folk Festival 2008, organised by Everest Nepal Cultural Group. After performing in places like Lalitpur, Palpa, Pokhara and Nuwakot, the final performance was held in Kathmandu.

The rain that poured in the afternoon did not deter the inquisitive souls from coming to the Khula Manch to see what the noise was all about. And as the programme proceeded and the music played on, the cheering got louder, despite the stuffiness and muddy puddles... people stayed on entranced by the delightful performances.

Be it the rich and vibrant costumes that the artistes adorned from bright reds and yellows to more subdued tones like mild greens and whites, all of them were eye-catching. And the glittering and opulent accessories added beauty. However, it was the performances with live music accompanying the performances of most of the countries, that gave a lively and invigorating feel to the atmosphere. The unique dance sequences, the skillful maneuvering of props and the joyful facial expressions all were in perfect harmony.

As the performers beautifully danced to the synchronised steps the crowd smiled, clapped and cheered them on. While some fascinating dance steps set the crowd in a clapping frenzy and people at the back tried to jump, stand of the iron stairs laid on the ground, and just about tried anything they could do to get a glimpse of these steps.

The afternoon sure was an entertaining and memorable one with so many rich cultural dance varieties of different countries performed on one stage.