Performing Arts
Dipping into the Cultural Treasure of Odissi
Odissi is one of the pre-eminent classical dance forms of India, originating in ancient times in the Hindu temples of the Indian eastern coastal state of Odisha. The dance is a spiritual medley of mythical and religious stories and devotional poems, emoted by dancers with sinuous movements, expressions, gestures, and sign language. Odissi’s performance repertoire includes invocation, nrita, nritya, natya, and moksha.
My journey with Odissi dance began when I was five, when I started learning the Surendra Nath Jena style of the dance from my guru Jaya Mehta. Over the years, Odissi has become my passion as well as a stimulating commitment that I have made with my soul. I dance to share my joy with my audience, but that’s not what it’s all about. I dance to enhance my energy flow, to invoke the blessings of God, to declutter my mind and to enrich my sensory receptiveness. Most of all, I dance to connect with myself and to give form to my expression.
The River Flows in Me
(this poem is my ode to the ancient dance form of Odissi)
From the temples that embodied the mountains of history
Was born a river, ancient and full of mystery,
Her life, embellished by love, and touched by Goddesses,
Nevertheless, obstructed repeatedly by the boulders of prejudice,
And plagued by misunderstandings, even avarice.
Yet, she is resplendent, as the stars of recognition shined,
She is truly sculpture in motion, she is visual, she is art I find,
Her gentle demeanour confers a profound peace of mind,
Her rhythmic ripples create an umbrella of calm, her serenity divine.
As she streams, gushes and trickles from place to place,
She crafts connections, unbreakable, everlasting and unfazed,
Joining us to the lords in the heavens, who have furnished us with this life,
Caressing the world with love, in spite of her uncherished strife
And with a feeling of ease that cleanses the soul
She sways, flows and meanders, her blessings unfold,
The raindrops of worries, the storms she addresses,
Rejuvenating the living beings whom she blesses.
The S shaped Tribhangi, reflects the bends of her life,
Tribulations filled journey, usher in a mystical delight,
Lyrical and sensuous, she brings me closer to my God,
I dance in harmony, my soul in sync, my heart unflawed,
Enhanced in devotion, my senses awake, leaving me awed.
And so, I marvel at the magic of the river of Odissi,
Yours is not just a graceful movement perfectly aligned,
You cradle buds and the beauty in flowers you refine,
You set me on a path of learning with a steep incline,
My hands come together, my invocatory prayer in my mind,
And then I am in motion, my movements skillfully combined,
My body a conduit, my salvation defined,
Enriched in mind, in body and my psyche,
In you, the perfect inspiration I find.