ODISSI
Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama genre of performance art, where the artist(s) and musicians play out a story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the Hindu texts, using symbolic costumes,[12] body movement, abhinaya (expressions) and mudras (gestures and sign language) set out in ancient Sanskrit literature.[13] Classical Odia literature & the Gita Govinda set to traditional Odissi music are used for the abhinaya. Odissi is learnt and performed as a composite of basic dance motif called the Bhangas (symmetric body bends, stance). It involves lower (footwork), mid (torso) and upper (hand and head) body as three sources of perfecting expression and audience engagement with geometric symmetry and rhythmic musical resonance.[14][15] An Odissi performance repertoire includes invocation, nritta (pure dance), nritya (expressive dance), natya (dance drama) and moksha (dance climax connoting salvation of the soul and spiritual release).[16][17] Traditional Odissi exists in two major styles, the first perfected by women and focussed on solemn, spiritual temple dance (maharis); the second perfected by boys dressed as girls (gotipuas)[18] which diversified to include athletic and acrobatic moves, and were performed from festive occasions in temples to general folksy entertainment.[6] Modern Odissi productions by Indian artists have presented a diverse range of experimental ideas, culture fusion, themes and plays.[19]




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About the teacher-
Reshma Das is a renowned Odissi dancer and choreographer who hailed from Kolkata, our very own City of Joy. She started her journey of dance at a very early age with Guru Ashim Bhattacharya who is an expert of Rabindra Nritya, a very popular dance form of West Bengal. She trained in this dance form for 7 years and finished her Visharad from Pracheen Kala Kendra . During her teenage years, mesmerized by the beauty of Odissi dance, she started her training in this art form with famous dancer and performer Ms Sutapa Talukdar. Reshma honed her skill of Odissi dancing under many famous gurus like Rajib Bhattacharya, Sutapa Talukdaar, Debamitra Sengupta and Enakshi Sinha who are prominent names in the world of Odissi. Her students went to internationally acclaimed dance and music festivals to showcase her teaching.