Dhaka: Turongomi, the acclaimed theatrical dance repertory, will stage the fifth show of its dance theatre production 'Dhora Toru Kabyo - Nature's Tale' on Friday at Chhayanaut Auditorium in Dhanmondi, marking 12 years of the dance troupe's journey. The production, based on Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's poem 'Brikkhobandana' (Hymn to the Tree), will begin at 3:30 pm. It has been conceptualised, adapted, and directed by Pooja Sengupta and will be performed and produced by Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre. The event is jointly organised by the High Commission of India in Dhaka, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC), and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dhaka.
According to United News of Bangladesh, through the personification of the Earth (Dhora) and the Tree (Toru), the dance drama explores the cycle of seasons and celebrates the grandeur, contribution, and sacrifice of Mother Earth. The event is open to all subject to registration.
Sengupta holds a Masters in Physics from Dhaka University, and later earned a Master of Arts in Dance from Rabindra Bharati University in India (Shantiniketan) under an ICCR scholarship. She also received advanced contemporary dance training from Gianin Loringett Offjazz Dance Academy in France and specialised in Flamenco dance at the Lucero C¡rdenas School of Flamenco in Spain. Her notable dance theatre productions and choreographies include 'Waterness', 'Anamika Sagorkonna', 'Ho Chi Minh', 'Nandini', 'Odommo', 'Oronnya', and 'Resolution'.
Established in 2014, Turongomi has been working to develop a distinctive identity and professional practice in Bangladeshi dance. The organisation has participated in a number of international festivals and cultural events, including the Bangkok International Fringe Festival in 2014, Vietnam International Dance Festival and Delhi International Arts Festival in 2017, and Silk Road International Exposition in Dunhuang, China, in 2018. Its other international engagements include the Dance Education Conference in St Petersburg, Russia, Dance Xchange in the Philippines, the 2022 ITI and UN Sustainable Development Goals Festival in Manila, Daegu Colorful Festival in South Korea, Indonesia International Culture Festival in Jakarta, Bandung Arts Festival in Java and Kiram Arts Festival.
Sengupta also delivered a speech at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in 2019. In August 2025, she joined Singapore Raffles Music College as a Visiting Fellow and represented Bangladesh at the 25th Cannes International Dance Festival in France in November that year. Turongomi School of Dance became the first Bangladeshi dance education institution to gain membership in the International Dance Council (CID) UNESCO in 2019, alongside Sengupta's individual membership.
For her work in turning culture into an enterprise and creating career opportunities for young artists, Sengupta received the 'Nurul Quader Sammanona' entrepreneurship award in 2018. In 2022, the President of Vietnam awarded her the Friendship Medal for her production 'Ho Chi Minh'. "As Turongomi completes twelve years of this beautiful artistic journey, my heart is filled with immense gratitude," Sengupta said. She thanked the organisation's audiences, well-wishers, and artists, as well as the High Commission of India, IGCC, and ICCR, for their continued support. "This journey of exploring and establishing Bangladesh's unique dance identity belongs to all of us," she added.