Interview: Madhulita Mohapatra of ODISSI DANCER On Odissi Sandhya

Odissi dance is a dance form full of graceful nuances. It has a lyrical quality to it and is known for its sculptured poses.

The centuries old tradition was perpetuated by the Devdasis and Gotipuas from Odisha.

Madhulita Mohapatra is a young Odissi dance exponent who is all set to perform at the Odissi Sandhya in Delhi. The talented dancer has already carved a niche amongst the leading Odissi performers in India. She's been a graded artist for Doordarshan and also an empaneled artist of ICCR. In 2017, Mohapatra received the famous IIDF 2017 award and has performed nationally and internationally at many important events.

BWW talks to Madhulita about the future of Odissi dance form

Tell us about the future of Odissi dance in India. Are the youngsters taking up traditional dance forms?

Answer: As we know that Odissi is a dance form, very beautiful, sculpturesque & divine, originated in Odisha, as a form of worship by the Devdasis (known as Maharis) at the Lord Jagannath temple at Puri. Now the same dance form has evolved and grown so much internationally. In Bengaluru, Odissi came with Nrityagram more than two decades ago, when the famed dance village, Nrityagram was established in the outskirts of the city at Hasserghatta by renowned Odissi exponent, late Protima Bedi. Eight years back, when I started teaching at many government schools, the children were not familiar with Odissi dance. The only classical dance style, they're aware of, was Bharatanatyam. Now they proudly say, they are learning Odissi. I see, interest of people in learning Odissi dance is increasing in children & youngsters and this gives me hope that its popularity will continue to grow with more practitioners, aspirants & enthusiasts in now in the city, in India & even Internationally.

What can be done to promote Indian classical dance forms internationally?

Answer: Various Indian classical dance forms represent the rich cultural heritage of our country, depicting the culture, lifestyle, traditions, socio-cultural values, religious beliefs, arts, literature, poetry and history of that particular region. These classical dance styles are an essential part of our diverse culture, and are traditionally rich in content, with the widest of range movements, rhythm and expressions. These movements & expressions form a vast and intricate vocabulary which are at once vital and virile, lyrical and nuanced, drawn as they are from our rich cultural heritage, mythologies and the quintessential mysticism of the Indian temperament. Our rich classical dance forms are not only held in deep reverence, practiced & promoted but have also been preserved with great care through centuries and will continue to be relevant in years to come. The spiritual elevation and the emotional depth of our classical dances offer infinite freedom for expression of the artistic self. With the widest range of movements and expressions, our classical dances are extremely rich in scope & content. These movements & expressions form a very vast and intricate vocabulary. With such a vast vocabulary and having survived through the ages as a tradition, our classical dances have the potential to convey both the timeless & contemporary. Beauty, depth & infinite richness of our classical dances, and their ability able to convey contemporary ideas, have always given infinite freedom for expression of the artistic self. An effective choreography is possible without diluting the essential classical purity of the dance form. We see a lot of commendable classical dance presentations on contemporary themes & ideas by classical dancers these days, beautifully choreographed & presented within the classical framework. In Odissi, my guru, Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty is so original and innovative at the same time. There are many others like Guru Sharmila Biswas, Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Guru Surupa Sen & Guru Bijayini Satapathy (of Nrityagram), Guru Ramli Ibrahim (of Sutra, Malaysia), Guru Madhavi Mudgal ... they always delight with their innovations without diluting the classicism. More creative works on relevant contemporary themes & ideas which audiences can relate & engage with, especially today's youth, are needed, and a lot is happening. Adaptive approaches of teaching in multicultural environments for effective teaching & learning, and the essence of universality in our cultural values, scriptures, beliefs & mysticism.

You have also learnt Sambalpuri dance. A rather unknown dance form. Tell us more about it.

Since childhood, I was mad for dance and I always dreamt of learning and dancing Odissi. My native place, Bhawanipatna did not have any Odissi dance school then. The place I belong to is Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district in western part of Odisha, where my father worked in a state government department. The region is known for it's lively and colourful tribal & folk art forms, Sambalpuri dance being so popular worldwide. I was mad after dance since childhood. A friend of mine in the school, Monalisa, was learning Sambalpuri folk dance. When I expressed my desire to learn Sambalpuri, she took me with her to dance class and started learning under Guru Shri Bhimsen Sahoo. It was Guru Shri Bhimsen Sahoo, who initiated me into dance.

Sambalpuri folk dance, as the name suggests, is a traditional folk dance of western Odisha in the region around Sambalpur, the districts of Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Nuapada & Kalahandi. This dance form is very popular world over. This lively and vibrant dance form is a reflection of culture and life of the region. Performed by people in festive mood, Sambalpuri dance comprises of one of the most exquisite form of aesthetic expression for both men & women. The people usually perform this dance in the open air on moonlit night. It was to soothe their weary nerves, tired after the day's work. Dressed in colourful Sambalpuri saris and bedecked with traditional jewellery, women also dance to its lively rhythms. With time, Sambalpuri dance has become more diverse with innovative tunes, musical rhythms, and movement of the body. Colourful costumes, and beats of traditional folk instruments like Dhol, Nisan, Tasa, Tamki, Mahuri etc, this is the dance for every occasion.

Tell us about your current projects and your dance fest

I had a series of performances all the months and have been frequently traveling. Came back from Bhopal yesterday where our troupe performed at Dharohar 2018. Me & our troupe, Nrityantar Dance Ensemble are performing in Delhi on May 1st at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road.

Regarding our annual Odissi dance festival, Naman, it is very close to my heart. The idea behind 'Naman' was to pay our solemn tribute & salutations to the Guru, the visible embodiment of God. The word, 'Naman' literally means 'salutations'. I'm so fortunate, that my guru, Guru Shri Gangadhar Pradhan blessed and inaugurated the festival in 2010. The festival pays rich tributes to our great gurus for their invaluable contributions in the growth and popularisation of Odissi dance. Naman, is a small but humble attempt to bring together and showcase varied styles and schools of Odissi dance. Audiences not only clearly distinguish the subtle nuances of these styles, but will also enjoy them. In its last eight editions, the festival has been very well received by Bengaluru audiences to packed halls and has featured well-known artistes like Guru Sangeeta Dash, Guru Aruna Mohanty, Guru Bijayini Satapathy, Guru Madhavi Mudgal, Guru Sharmila Biswas, Guru Surupa Sen, Guru Meera Das, amongst others.

Madhulita Mohapatra & her Nrityantar Dance Ensemble will be performing on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 7 pm at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

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