HYDERABAD: Spreading the essence of the Odissi dance form in the land of Kuchipudi, the Odissi International Forum recently hosted the second edition of the Hyderabad Odissi Utsav (HOU), in collaboration with the Odissi dance institutions and performers in the twin cities. The event took place at Lamakaan, capturing the attention of people from both Odisha and Hyderabad.
The Odissi Sandhya commenced with Sampriti Mohanty performing Naba Durga. The stage was further illuminated with performances by artists such as Abha Ghosh, Palak Sengupta, Saisha, Tanvi, Sarvari, Illiana, Samriddhi, Rohini, Trupti, Saanvi, Princy, Neha, Aishi, Ira, Ruhani, Niharika, Tapaswini, Manosmita and many other emerging talents. The show concluded with solo Odissi recitals by city-based senior dancers, including Sangeeta Dash, Bijayalaxmi Nayak, Priyanka Mishra, Sanjukta Ghosh, Arpita Pani, and Varsha Panda, among others.
Puducherry-based eminent Odissi exponent and Odia film actress Sangeeta Dash was the special attraction of HOU-2023. A Central and State Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Sangeeta is globally recognised as a star performer of Odissi.
The festival’s guests included well-known Kathak exponents Raghav Bhatt - Mangal Bhatt, Vanaja Uday-who heads the dance department at the Telugu University, Shri Anna Rao- an eminent critic, and Preeti Mohapatra- a city-based senior Odissi dancer.
“Odissi and our Jagarnath Sanskriti are ancient cultures. Odissi dance originated from its roots and represents the purity and richness of its meaning with full devotion. In Hyderabad, all of us Odissi dancers and learners, have successfully completed the second annual Odissi Utsav with pride and happiness. Definitely, lots of effort, respect, love, and dedication mixed together made this grand achievement, and we have felt the taste of togetherness, inspiration to continue, and pursue this festival every year,” expressed Bijayalaxmi Nayak, Odissi dancer, guru, and member of the Federation of Indian Dance in Ukraine, IBDP Educator.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
Expressing gratitude for the organisers, Preeti Mohapatra, founder of Nrityashala, said, “The Hyderabad Odissi Ustav is a great initiative. A fabulous show was put up by the organisers. My deepest appreciation to all of them for their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts in bringing this magnificent spectacle to life. I applaud their exceptional contribution to preserving and promoting Odissi dance. The show was fabulous where I get to witness number of talented dancers. To each one of them, I extend my heartfelt applause and admiration. The show is a huge success.”
Besides being a star-lit gathering, the event is also a teaching and learning platform for students of the Odissi dance form, highlighted Sanjukta Ghosh, teacher at Our Sacred Space (Marredpally) and Odissi Nrityaangan, Sainikpuri. “Dance schools and dancers put their best foot forward. What I like the best about this event is that it is a non-judgmental platform for students and performers alike. For us in Hyderabad-- a city predominated by other classical dance forms-- having this united front gives strength. The support of senior and esteemed guests from the field of performing arts has been extremely encouraging. Students here also get exposure to the different streams within Odissi and are thrilled to watch familiar songs being depicted in different compositions,” she said.
Digging into the rich history of the Odissi dance Utsav, Odissi International Forum is a 14-year-old global network of Odissi dancers and Odissi dance institutions with its headquarters in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is the brainchild of New Delhi-based journalist and dance critic Shyamhari Chakra, who hails from Odisha.
The Forum has been hosting an annual international Odissi dance festival in Bhubaneswar for the past 13 years known as Biswa Odissi Utsav (Odissi International).
Hundreds of Odissi dancers from 27 countries have participated in the event so far. Furthermore, the forum has also launched annual Odissi Utsavs in Kolkata, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ranchi, Guwahati, and Mysuru so far.