Manipuri dance

Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar (also known as Burma). In Manipur, surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India, the form developed its own specific aesthetics, values, conventions and ethics. The cult of Radha and Krishna, particularly the raslila, is central to its themes but the dances, unusually, incorporate the characteristic cymbals (kartal or manjira) and double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mridang) of sankirtan into the visual performance.

Manipuri dancers do not wear ankle bells to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet, in contrast with other Indian dance forms, and the dancers' feet never strike the ground hard. Movements of the body and feet and facial expressions in Manipuri dance are subtle and aim at devotion and grace.

History

The early period

A copper plate inscription credits King Khuoyi Tompok (c. 2nd century CE) with introducing drums and cymbals into Manipuri dance. However, it is unlikely that the style resembled the form known today before the introduction of Krishna bhakti in the 15th century CCE. Maharaja Bhagyachandra (r. 1759–1798 CE) codified the style, composed three of the five types of Ras Lilas, the Maha Ras, the Basanta Ras and the Kunja Ras, performed at the Sri Sri Govindaji temple in Imphal during his reign and also the Achouba Bhangi Pareng dance. He designed an elaborate costume known as Kumil. The Govindasangeet Lila Vilasa, an important text detailing the fundamentals of the dance, is also attributed to him.

Maharaja Gambhir Singh (r. 1825–1834 CE) composed two parengs of the tandava type, the Goshtha Bhangi Pareng and the Goshtha Vrindaban Pareng. Maharaja Chandra Kirti Singh (r. 1849–1886 CE), a gifted drummer, composed at least 64 Pung choloms (drum dances) and two parengs of the Lasya type, the Vrindaban Bhangi Pareng and Khrumba Bhangi Pareng. The composition of the Nitya Ras is also attributed to him.

Modern Times

File:Manipuri Rasa lila.jpg Exponents of Manipuri dance

This genre of dance became better known outside the region through the efforts of Rabindranath Tagore. In 1919, he was so impressed after seeing a dance composition, the Goshtha Lila in Sylhet (in present day Bangladesh) that he invited Guru Budhimantra Singh to Shantiniketan. In 1926, Guru Naba Kumar joined the faculty to teach the Ras

Lila. Other celebrated Gurus, Senarik Singh Rajkumar, Nileshwar Mukherji and Atomba Singh were also invited to teach there and assisted Tagore with the choreography of several of his dance-dramas.

Guru Naba Kumar went to Ahmedabad to teach Manipuri dance in 1928. Soon, Guru Bipin Singh popularised it in Mumbai. Amongst his pupils, most well known are the Jhaveri sisters, Nayana, Suverna, Darshana and Ranjana.[4]

Guru PAGLU Maharaj (Anurag Deb) went to Guwahati, Singapore and other places to learn Manipuri dance. He now teaches his PAGLU gharana dance at Pictoria Blues academy of dance and is extremely popular among his students. In last World Manipuri dance meet, he left a lasting impression on the audiences coming from different parts of the world.

The Dance

A Manipuri Dancer in traditional Krishna attire

A Manipuri performer strikes an evocative pose.

The traditional Manipuri dance style embodies delicate, lyrical and graceful movements. The aim is to make rounded movements and avoid any jerks, sharp edges or straight lines. It is this which gives Manipuri dance its undulating and soft appearance. The foot movements are viewed as part of a composite movement of the whole body. The dancer puts his or her feet down, even during vigorous steps, with the front part touching the ground first. The ankle and knee joints are effectively used as shock absorbers. The dancer’s feet are neither put down nor lifted up at the precise rhythmic points of the music but rather slightly earlier or later to express the same rhythmic points most effectively.

The musical accompaniment for Manipuri dance comes from a percussion instrument called the Pung, a singer, small cymbals, a stringed instrument called the pena and wind instrument such as a flute. The drummers are always male artistes and, after learning to play the pung, students are trained to dance with it while drumming. This dance is known as Pung cholom. The lyrics used in Manipuri are usually from the classical poetry of Jayadeva, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Govindadas or Gyandas and may be in Sanskrit, Maithili, Brij Bhasha or others.

Prominent Artists and SNA Awardees

1. Amubi Singh 19562. Haobam Atomba Singh 19583. T. Amudon Sharma 19614. Atombapu Sharma 19635. Bipin Singh 19656. Ojha Thangjam Chaoba Singh 19697. Kshetri Tombi Devi 19728. L. Koireng Singh 19739. L. Ibemhal Devi 197410. Rajani Maibi 197511. Ojha Maibam Ibungohal Singh 197612. Nayana Susheel Jhaveri 197713. L. Thouranishabi Devi 198014. L. Tombi Devi 198215. Khaidem Lokeshwar Singh 198516. Tarun Kumar Singh 198717. Ibopishak Sharma 198818. Th. Babu Singh 199019. H. Ngangbi Devi 199320. T. Nadia Singh 199421. L. Thambalangoubi Devi 199522. Darshana Jhaveri 199623. Samanduram Tondon Devi 199724. N. Madhabi Devi 199825. Sorokhaibam Naran Singh 1999-200026. Charu Sija Mathur 2001

27. K. Ongbi Leipaklotpi Devi 200228. Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi 200329. Kalavati Devi 200330. K. Radhamohon Sharma 200531. L. Bino Devi 200932. Phanjoubam Iboton Singh 2010

OdissiOdissi, also spelled Orissi (Oriya: ଓଡ଼ି�ଶୀ�, Devnagari:ओडि�शी�), is one of the eight classical

dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. 1st century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British but has been reconstructed since India gained independence.

It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvisand upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolizes Lord Jagannath. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common Bhangas are Bhanga, Abanga, Atibhanga and Tribhanga.

Origin and history

Temple rituals of Jagannath Temple, Puri, included Odissi.

The first clear picture of Odissi dance is found in the Manchapuri cave in Udayagiri which was carved during the time of Emperor Kharavela. Flanked by two queens, Emperor Kharavela was watching a dance recital where a damsel was performing a dance in front of the court with the company of female instrumentalists. Thus, Odissi can be traced back to its origin as secular dance. Later it got attached with the temple culture of Orissa. Starting with the rituals of Jagannath temple in Puri it was regularly performed in Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Sakta temples in Orissa. An inscription is found where it was engraved that a Devadasi Karpursri’s attachment to Buddhist monastery, where she was performing along with her mother and grandmother. It proves that Odissi first originated as a court dance. Later, it was performed in all religious places of Jainism as well as Buddhist monasteries. Odissi was initially performed in the temples as a religious offering by the Maharis who dedicated their lives in the services of God. It has the closest resemblance with sculptures of the Indian temples.

The history of Odissi dance has been traced to an early sculptures found in the Ranigumpha caves at Udaygiri (Orissa), dating to the 2nd century BCE. Odissi appears to be the oldest classical dance rooted in rituals and tradition. In fact, the Natya Shastra refers to Odra-Magadhi as one of the Vrittis and Odra refers to Orissa.

Temple history

In Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa, Udayagiri Caves, Khandagiri Caves and Jain Caves are present which date back to the 2nd century BCE, that served as a royal palace for Emperor Kharavela. It is suggested by scholars that Odissi is the archeologically oldest Indian classical dance form due to sculptural evidence found in the caves. There are several sculptures of dancers and musicians are in Konark Sun Temple and Brahmeswara temple in Bhubaneswar.

In the excavated ruins of the Buddhist Ratnagiri hills in Orissa dating back to the 6th thru 9th centuries, several panels and icons of dance are found resembling present-day Odissi dance.

In the Tantric temples, such as the Hirapur Shrine, many of the yoginis especially are depicted in poses reminiscent of present day Odissi. When Orissa became a big centre of worship of Lord Shiva, it is only natural that dance would be used as a form of worship, since Lord Shiva was a master dancer himself. He is also known as Nataraj, the Cosmic Lord of Dance. The Shaivite temples of Bhubaneswar display innumerable sculptures in postures of Odissi. The Vaishnavite Temples such as Jagannath Temple and Konark Sun Temple abound with an array of dancing sculptures carved into the temple walls, giving testimony that a particular school of dancing had continued from the Shaivite art tradition to the Vaishnavite art form.

Manuscript evidence

Sage Bharata's Natya Shastra, written in 2nd century CE, speaks of four types of Pravrittis (local usages): Avanti, Dakshinatya, Panchali, and Odra Magadhi and the areas where each type is employed. Some scholars have interpreted that Odra Magadhi is a reference to Odissi, in fact, "the earliest literary reference to Odissi”.

Abhinaya Chandrika written by Maheshvara Mahapatra is a detailed study of the movements of the feet, hands, the standing postures, the movement and the dance repertoire. It includes illustrations of the Karanãs mentioned in NãtyaShãstra.

The illustrated manuscript Shilpaprakãsha deals with Oriya architecture and sculpture as well as the figures of dance. In this, one finds a elaborate analysis of the manner in which the salabhanjikãs or the feminine figures called the Alasa Kanyas are carved in the temple. The illustrations of Shilpaprakãsha reinforces the evidence of sculpture in temples.

A rather unexpected source, the Jain Manuscripts, especially the Kalpasutra and Kalkacharya Kathãs show traces of Oriya dance style although they were being executed in Gujarat. The marginal figures of dancers show women in poses and movements similar to the distinctive style of Odissi. For example, in one of the famous illustrated Jain Manuscripts called the Devasanpada Kalpasutra (1501, Jamnagar), there is depiction of the Samapada, the Tribhangi and the Chuaka.

This shows that there was a great deal of mobility between east and west and many migrations took place. According to some historians, there were groups of dancers who were brought to Puri from Gujarat and Andhra.

Mughal and British period

During the Mughal rule of India, the duties of the maharis (the temple dancers) shifted, as they were employed to entertain the royal family and courtiers in the royal courts. They became associated with concubinage in respect to the king and ceased to be respected solely as servants to Lord Jagannath. Although the British have helped India in several ways, a decline and degradation occurred in all the Indian Classical dance styles during the British period, especially when a bill was passed prohibiting temple dancing. Most of these dancers, losing their well-deserved place in society, were forced to prostitution to survive in the changing climate of political and cultural oppression of the British.

Tradition and dancers

Odissi artiste

The Odissi tradition existed in three schools: Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipua.

Maharis were Oriya devadasis or temple girls (their name deriving from Maha (great) and ‘Nari’ or ‘Mahri’ (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at Puri. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) based on Mantras and Slokas. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita Govinda. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the sanctum sanctorum.

By the 6th century the Gotipua tradition was emerging. One of the reasons given for the emergence of Gotipuas is that Vaishnavas did not approve of dancing by women. Gotipuas were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. During this period, Vaishnava poets composed innumerable lyrics in Oriya dedicated to Radha and Krishna. Gotipuas danced to these compositions. The Gotipuas stepped out of the precincts of the temples.

Nartaki dance took place in the royal courts, where it was much cultivated before the British period. At that time the misuse of devadasis came under strong attack, so that Odissi dance withered in the temples and became unfashionable at court. Only the remnants of the gotipua school remained, and the reconstruction of the style required an archaeological and anthropological effort that has tended to foster a conservative purism.[7]

Mahari tradition

The consecration of females to the service of temple dancing began in the Shaivite temples and continued in the Jagannath temple in service of the Lord Jagannath. These attendants have been known as maharis (great women) or devadasis (servants of the lord) and have been considered the wives of Lord Jagannath. Odissi developed through their art.

The first evidence of the Mahari institution in Orissa comes from a commemorative inscription by Udyota Kesari, the last King of the dynasty. In the 10th century the King’s mother, Kolavati Devi, dedicated temple dancers to Lord Shiva in the Brahmeswar Temple.

Raja Anantavarma Chodagangadeva appointed dancing girls for ritual services in the Jagannatha temple in the 11th century, and these Maharis were the ones responsible for keeping the dance alive for centuries. Through the technique of unequal division of weight and firm footwork balancing a fluid upper torso, the dancer achieves a sensuality that is uncommon in other classical dance styles.

Some eminent Mahari dancers are Moni Mahari, Dimmi (Domi) Mahari, Dungri Mahari (Harapriya), and Padmashri Guru Pankaj Charan Das.

Gotipua tradition

In the Oriya language Gotipua means single boy. Gotipua dance is performed only by boys who dress up as females.

During the rule of King Prataprudra Dev, who was a follower of Sri Chaitanya, started this boy dancing tradition again as Vasishnavs were not approving of the females in to dance practices.

Dance vocabulary and repertoire

Odissi Group Performance

Traditional Odissi repertoire consists of:

MangalacharanIt's an invocation piece. After paying homage to Lord Jagannath a sloka (hymn) in praise of some God or Goddess is sung, the meaning of which is brought out through dance. Mangalacharan also includes the Bhumi Pranam (salutation to Mother Earth) which is offered to Mother Earth as a way of begging forgiveness for stamping on her and the Trikhandi Pranam or the Three-fold salutation - above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to the Gurus and in front of the chest to the Audience.

Battu NrityaAlso known as Sthayee Nritya or Batuka Bhairava (Furious Dance) it is performed in the honor of Lord Shiva- the cosmic Lord of Dance. It is one of the 64 furious-aspects of Lord Shiva known. The origin of dance is believed to be from Tantrism that had flourished in Orissa. Linga Purana and Mahanirvanatantra give an elaborate description of Batuka Bhairva in three aspects, and the results of their worship have also been explained elaborately in the texts. Batu Nritya is an item of pure Nritya (Dance)and remains the most difficult item of Odissi dance. The dance begins with a series of sculpturesque poses depicting such actions as the playing of a Veena (Lute), Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum), Karatala (Cymbals) and Venu (Flute), that brings out the interrelationships between this dance and the dance sculptures adorning the temples of Orissa. These poses are stringed together with steps in different rhythms. There is no song or recitation accompanying the dance, but throughout the item a refrain of rhythmic syllables is provided. The accompanying refrain is in the form of one line of Ukuta and as this is recited in the Tala, different Jathi-patterns are improvised and are executed with the feet. Some Tala variations are introduced and each sequence of the dance terminates with a Tehdi known as

Katam. The last sequence is always in Jhula Pahapata Tala and is performed with a fast tempo.PallaviA pure dance item in which a raga is elaborated through eye movements, body postures & intricate footwork. Pallavi literally means “blossoming”. This is applicable not only to the dance, but also to the music, which accompanies it. Pallavi starts with slow, graceful & lyrical movements of the eyes, neck, torso & feet & slowly builds in a crescendo to climax in a fast tempo at the end. Both the dance and the music evolve in complexity as the dancer traces multiple patterns in space, interpreting the music dexterously in the multilayered dimensions of taal (rhythm) and laya (speed).

AbhinayaAn expressional dance which is an enactment of a song or poetry, where a story conveyed to the audience through mudras (hand gestures), facial expression, eye movement and body movement. The dance is fluid, very graceful, and sensual. Abhinaya can be performed on verses in Sanskrit or Oriya language. The verses are extremely ornate in content and suggestion. Most common are Abhinayas on Oriya songs or Sanskrit Ashthapadis or Sanskrit stutis like Dasavatar Stotram (depicting the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) or Ardhanari Stotram. Most of the Abhinaya compositions are based on the Radha-Krishna theme. The Astapadis of the kãvya Gita Govinda written by the Saint Jayadev are an integral part of its repertoire. The beginning pieces are dedicated to Lord Jagannatha - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Dance dramaUsually longer than Abhinaya and typically performed by more than one dancers. Some of the much appreciated dance dramas composed by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra are: Sudama Dharitra Bhanjana, Mathamani Pradhana, Balya Leela, Rutu Samhara, Krishna Sudama, Dushmanta Sakuntala, Utkala Mauda Mani, Yagnaseni, Meghadoot, Kumara Sambhava, Sapan Nayaka. Usually Hindu mythologies are chosen as themes, but experimenting with the theme and form in recent years have led to extremely unique creations. Some worth-mentioning themes in recent years are Panchakanya, Ganga yamuna, Shrita kamalam, Mrutyuh and Tantra.MokshaThe concluding item of a recital. Moksha means “spiritual liberation”. This dance represents a spiritual culmination for the dancer who soars into the realm of pure aesthetic delight. Movement and pose merge to create ever new patterns, ever new designs in space and time. The dance moves onto a crescendo that is thrilling to both, the eye and the ear. With the cosmic sound of the “Om”, the dance dissolves into nothingness — just like Moksha or the deliverance of the soul in real life.

Odissi terminology

Sharmila Biswas performing Odissi in a dance festival in KeralaAlap

It is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is unmetered, improvised (within the raga) and unaccompanied (except for the drone of the Tanpura), and is started at a slow tempo.

AnadhaHide category of the 4 musical divisions, e.g. Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum), Tabla, and Mridangam.Asanjukta DhvanisSound created by striking the Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum) with one hand.

Avartan(a)One complete cycle of a taal.

BaniOdissi term used to describe the spoken drum neumonics. During dance performances Bani are spoken by the percussionist or the guru.

BhagoIn taal, this would be the groups the taal is divided into. Also the points on which the tali, or khali would be. e.g., Adital (Odissi) is divided into 4 groups of 4 beats. It is said that Adital has 4 Bhago. These are the measures. Odissi music term.

BhajanIt is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a Mantra or Kirtan or as sophisticated as the Dhrupad or Kriti with music based on classical Ragas and Talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine.

Chondo

In tal, this would be how the divisions of the tal are divided. e.g., in Adital (Odissi), the sixteen beats are divided into 4 groups of 4. So the Chondo for Adital is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. This describes what the Bhagos are.

DevadasisThey were the original temple dancers who were "Servitress of God". They were dedicated to a deity or a temple. Apart from taking care of the temple and performing various rituals, these women learned and practiced Odissi dance, for dance and music were an essential part of temple worship. They enjoyed a high social status.

Gita GovindaPoet Jayadev's famous work depicting the relationship of Radha, Krishna and Gopis in Vrindavan. Themes from this work have a great significance towards the classical arts of India.

GotiThese are barrel-shaped tension pegs made of wood which adorn the Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum). The straps (Pitha) connecting the two apertures of the Mardala run over them. These pegs can be moved to either increase or decrease the tension of the leather membranes covering the two apertures of the Mardala and are useful in tuning it.

GotipuaYoung boys trained in the fine art of Odissi dance. The Gotipuas were allowed to leave the temple and dance for the public. The current form of Odissi is heavily influenced by the Gotipua tradition (and also the temple carvings from Orissa.)

Khondo UkuttoWhen bani and ukuttos are formed together to make phrases. e.g., Kititaka gadigana. Odissi term.

ManoThe ending sequence that is repeated to designate that the ending of the piece or of a section. Typically in 3 repeats. Odissi term. People in Orissa inter change Tihai and Mano. But they mean the same.

Maharis or DevadasisThe original temple dancers of Orissa, but now extinct. This is the root of Odissi dance that was later taught to young boys, Gotipuas. The style is now modernized and work is being done to preserve it.

Odissi music

Main article: Odissi music

Odissi dance is accompanied by Odissi music. Odissi music is a synthesis of four classes of music,[11][12] i.e. Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal. The Dhruvapada is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly. Chitrapada means the arrangement of words in an alliterative style. The use of art in music is called Chitrakala. Kavisurya Baladeva Rath, the renowned Oriya poet wrote lyrics, which are the best examples of Chitrakala. All of these were combined to form the style that's peculiar to Odissi music.

Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line.

A special feature of Odissi music is the padi which consists of words to be sung in Druta Tala (fast beat). Odissi music can be sung to different talas: Navatala (nine beats), Dashatala (ten beats) or Egartala (eleven beats). Odissi ragas are different from the ragas of Hindustani and Karnataki classical music. The primary Odissi ragas[11][12] are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.

Odissi music is sung through Raganga, Bhabanga and Natyanga Dhrubapadanga followed by Champu, Chhanda, Chautisa, Pallabi, Bhajan, Janana, and Gita Govinda, which are considered to be a part of the repertoire of Odissi or an allied act form of Odissi.

Odissi music has codified grammars, which are presented with specific Raagas. It has also a distinctive rendition style. It is lyrical in its movement with wave-like ornamentation. The pace of singing in Odissi is not very fast nor too slow, and it maintains a proportional tempo which is very soothing.

Costume and Jewellery

See also: Tarakashi and Sambalpuri Saree

The jewelry is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces. Filigree, in French, means “thin wire,” and in Oriya it is called Tarakasi. This highly skilled art form is more than 500 years old and is traditionally done by local artisans on the eastern shores of Orissa.The jewelry pieces themselves are an important part of the Odissi dancer’s costume. They are the tikka (forehead ornament), allaka (head piece on which the tikka hangs), unique ear covers in intricate shapes, usually depicting a peacock’s feathers, with jimkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them, two necklaces- a smaller necklace worn close to the neck and a longer necklace with a hanging pendant, and two sets of bangles worn on the upper arm and wrist. The process of creating each piece takes the collaboration of many artisans each specialized in one step of the many that turns a lump of raw silver into a handcrafted work of art.

Head piece

The crown, or "mahkoot", worn by the Odissi dancer is made only in the devotional city of Puri in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reed called "sola" in a tradition called "sola kama". The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers shape into jasmines, champa (one of the five

flowers of Lord Krishna’s arrows), and kadamba (the flowers of the tree under which Radha would wait for her beloved Lord Krishna).

The mahkoot consists of two parts. The flower decorated back piece, called the "ghoba", sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head. This piece represents the lotus with a thousand petals that lies above the head in the head chakra, or energy center. The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the "thiya" and this represents the temple spire of Lord Jagannath or the flute of Lord Krishna.

The saree worn by Odissi dancers are generally coloured with bright shades of orange, purple, red or green. This saree features traditional prints of Orissa and shiny embellishment. This costume are drapped around the body in unique traditional way unlike other classical dance forms of India. Generally Sambalpuri Saree is being used in Odissi dance more than any other type of Sarees. The makeup of an Odissi dancer include Bindi (red dot) is applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it. Kajal (black eyeliner) is applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look.

Odissi gurus and performers

Padma Vibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. Sanjukta Panigrahi, the great exponent of Odissi, was a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's and popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad. In the mid-sixties, two other disciples of Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, were best known for their performances, both in India and abroad. Shrimati Laximipriya Mohapatra performed a piece of Odissi abhinaya in the Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack in 1948. This is widely upheld as the first ever performance of a classical Odissi dance item after its contemporary revival.

An Odissi exponent

Most of the present day gurus were Gotipua dancers themselves, and have trained dancers and teachers all over India and abroad. In the early fifties, the outside world began to take note of Odissi. Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi and Dr. Susama Tej represented Orissa in the classical dance category at the Inter University Youth Festival, New Delhi, in 1954 and 1955. It was here that Dr. Charles Fabri witnessed their performances, hailed Odissi as a great classical dance form, and helped Indrani Rehman and Sonal Mansingh study it. Sadly, Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi left for the US for 16 long years, where she hardly performed, barring a recital or two here and there. She returned to India only in the mid-nineteen seventies, by which time well known dancers had already occupied a permanent and prominent space on the Odissi horizon, and by which time Odissi had evolved considerably. The baton in India was wielded gloriously, and with outstanding success and public acclaim, by Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, each of whom was a major and distinctive star.

Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pankaj Charan Das, Deba Prasad Das, Raghunath Dutta, Bandana Das, Cuckoo Meena Mohanty, Dr. Nandita Samuel, Kumkum Mohanty, Mayadhar Raut, Minati Misra, Oopali Operajita, Protima Bedi, Ritha Devi, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh and Surendranath Jena contributed notably to the propagation of Odissi, starting in the fifties, right up to the eighties and nineties: the golden years of the Odissi renaissance.

Eminent contemporary gurus and performers in alphabetic order include Aloka Kanungo, Aruna Mohanty, Bichitrananda Swain, Bijayini Satpathy, Chitralekha Patnaik, Daksha Mashruwala, Dibakar Khuntia, Dr. Bidisha Mohanty, Durga Charan Ranbir, Gangadhar Pradhan, Gita Mahalik, Harekrishna Behra, Ileana Citaristi, Jhelum Paranjape, Jyoti Rout, Kasturi Pattanaik, Kiran Segal, Kumkum Lal, Madhavi Mudgal, Madhumita Raut, Manoranjan Pradhan, Meera Das, Muralidhar Majhi, Nandita Behera, Natabar Maharana, Oopali Operajita, Poushali Mukherjee, Ramani Ranjan Jena, Ramli Ibrahim, Ranjana

Gauhar, Ratikant Mohapatra, Ratna Roy, Sharmila Biswas, Sharmila Mukherjee, Sharon Lowen, Snehaprava Samantaray, Sonal Mansingh, Sri Mahdeva Raut, Srinath Raut, Sujata Mohapatra, Surupa Sen, SutapaTalukdar,TrinathMaharana and several others around the world.

Some of the upcoming Odissi performers in alphabetic order are Aadya Kaktikar, Arushi Mudgal, Ayona Bhaduri, Bani Ray, Bijay Sahoo, Devraj Patnaik, Ellora Patnaik, Kaustavi Sarkar, Kavita Dwivedi, Lingaraj Pradhan, Madhusmita Mohanty, Masako Ono, Niharika Mohanty, Pabitra Kumar Pradhan, Rahul Acharya, Rajashree Chintak Behera, Rajashri Praharaj, Rajika Puri, Ramesh Chandra Jena, Rekha Tandon, Sandhyadipa Kar, Saswat Joshi, Saswati Garai-Ghosh, Shibani Patnaik, Shreelina Ghosh, Sonali Mishra, Sreyashi Dey, Vishnu Tattwa Das, Yudhistir Nayak and several others around the world.

Odissi in Popular Culture

In India

1993: Dressed in a resplendent orange sanyasin dhoti (probably inspired by the Mayurbhanj Chau costume worn in Shiva Tandava items), renowned actress Meenakshi Sheshadri danced a tandava item composed chiefly in Odissi in the film Damini – Lightning.

1996: Rekha was seen imparting Odissi dance lessons (Shikhandika pose) to a group of young learners, while Indira Varma was shown learning Odissi steps to the accompaniment of the mardala in Mira Nair's magnum opus film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.

2003: Rani Mukherjee performed a dance at the International Indian Film Academy Awards function dressed in Odissi costume and a number of celebrated Odissi expressed disapproval for insulting the integrity of the dance and the costume.

2007: An entire sequence of dance in Odissi costume was featured near the end of the Bollywood movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa and was performed by actress Vidya Balan and Malayalam actor Vineeth.

2009: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who took Odissi lessons for an India-China joint film venture, The Desire loosely based on the life of Odissi dancer Pratima Gauri Bedi.

Outside India

1991: A short (23 second) Odissi dance scene was featured in Michael Jackson's music video of Black or White. The legendary pop-singer and dancer performs some Odissi, too.

1998: Madonna danced along with Odissi dancers live on stage during the 1998 MTV Award ceremony. US-based Odissi performers, Patnaik Sisters, were chosen to choreograph and perform alongside the legendary pop artist.