Jnanapith awardee Odia writer Pratibha Ray has emphasised on compulsory learning of Odia language by all non-Odia Odishi dancers, the foreigners in particular.
Inaugurating Upasaranam, an evening of Odishi dance presented by city-based famed Srjan dance institution at the RabindraMandap here on Tuesday, Ray stated that Odishi dance has brought a distinct identity to Odisha.
“Once upon a time, Konark was Odisha’s best identity abroad, and Odishi is Odisha’s new identity. While Odia language got the classical status a few years ago, Odishi dance could claim it decades ago. By its world-wide presentation, Odishi dance has helped propagation of the language, literature and music of the land,” she observed.
Ray recollected her personal and professional association with Odishi legend Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the founder of Srjan, who had adapted her most popular literary work Jajnaseni to Odishi dance for national television channel Doordarsan besides the famous Konark Dance Festival.
Addressing the occasion, former State Commissioner of Culture Ashok Kumar Tripathy suggested the new generation gurus of Odishi dance to try innovations. He felt that the tradition of manchapravesh (debut show) as seen in other Indian classical dance styles may also be introduced to Odishi to highlight the new talents.
Odisha’s Mardal (indigenous percussion instrument) exponent Sachidananda Das and music composer laxmikant Palit, who worked under Kelucharan Mohapatra, also spoke while Srjan director Guru Ratikant Mohapatra was present. “The objective of the festival has been to discover new talents in Odishi dance and create opportunity for them to perform on a major platform. Upasaranam means moving on the path to excellence,” Mohapatra mentioned.
The evening presented the budding dancers of Srjan who performed group compositions choreographed by Guru Kelucharan and his son Guru Ratikant.
The sole solo presentation of the evening was by Chinese Odishi dancer Wu Kan, who has been learning at the Srjan for the past three years under a scholarship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
“It is a very special feeling to dance in the land of Odishi,” she shared with this newspaper.
The highlight of the event was Vande Mataram, a fitting finale that was choreographed by Guru Kelucharan.