(Above and below) Participants visit a photo exhibition on Odissi at the International Odissi Dance Festival in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 28: The spiritual aesthetics of Odissi have won the classical dance form a varied audience all across the globe. Many young dancers from far off lands are attracted towards the state in their pursuit of this devotional element of the dance form.

“I had trained in Western dance forms like jazz, jive and hip hop. But I happened to watch Odissi on television once. It was mesmerising to see the dancer communicate with the divine with such intensity,” said Portuguese dancer Shantalle Gomez, now known as Shanti. Since kathak is the only prominent classical Indian dance in her nation, she found her way to Odisha to learn the dance form. “I came here in 2008 to visit my friends here who suggested I learn Odissi staying here. Now, I shuffle between my job in Portugal and my Odissi classes,” said Shanti, a disciple of dancer Nirod Dehury.

For Phiona Lin, a professional in modern Western and Chinese classical dance forms who runs a dance studio in Taiwan, her passion to know more about the ethereal connection of dance pulled her to Odissi around four years ago. “To know the basics of Odissi, I took a month’s training first. But the craving to learn more of the dance form grew so much that I invited Nirod, my guru, to my studio to teach me and my students,” she said. Many young Taiwanese dancers are now being trained by Phiono. Her student Rebecca, who has accompanied her to watch Phiona perform at the ongoing International Odissi Dance Festival, has also fallen in love with Odissi.

“It is a beautiful style of dance. People back home have started knowing more about it and many of my friends also learn Odissi,” she said.
麗榕老師採訪中譯：（老師英文不夠好，所以其他部分請自行利用Google翻譯功能翻譯喲）在台灣擁有一間舞蹈教室，同時擁有現代西方舞蹈和中國古典舞蹈技術的專業舞者-Phiona 來說，讓她對奧迪西這個空靈舞蹈產生熱情始於四年前。她說：當時僅接受奧迪西基礎訓練一個月，為了渴望學習更多的舞蹈形式與內涵，我邀請導師 Nirod 到台灣指導我以及我的學生。現在許多台灣年輕舞者，都正接受 Phiona 訓練當中。跟著她來印度觀賞國際奧迪西舞蹈節與短期進修的學生Rebecca ，也因此愛上這個舞蹈。她說：這是一個美麗的舞蹈風格，台灣有越來越多人認識跟瞭解這個舞蹈形式，而且現在我的很多朋友也開始學習奧迪西。

Martaa from Spain trained in Odissi from Guru Padmacharan Dehury since 2008. “It started as an internship and initially I felt the movements and expressions were tough. But I’m glad I have learnt many intricate movements and now I just cannot stop myself from practising Odissi. I visit Odisha once every few months!” she said.

Dancers from USA, Sonia and Bailey, are in the quest of spirituality and wish to achieve it through Odissi. Sonia, who has been dancing for the last 20 years is well-trained in classical ballet, flamenco, Mexican dance forms and many more. “But I’m deeply in love with Odissi,” she said. She came to know of Odissi through a video that sparked interest for more. “I took some training at Phiono’s classes in Taiwan. This is my first visit to Bhubaneswar,” said Sonia who has been pursuing Odissi since January 2010.

Bailey is here for almost two years on a state-funded grant from USA to learn Odissi so she can teach it in her country. “I am primarily a gymnast though I have performed at many places as a belly dancer. Movements in Odissi inspired from yoga and meditation attract me most since one can explore the inner self and reach the supreme source of energy through this I feel,” said Bailey.

Both Bailey and Sonia feel that the dance form has grown commercial in Odisha whereas it is the devotional aspect of Odissi that is revered across the globe. “So many deviations from the traditional style by so many dancers is sometimes confusing, specially with movements from ballet and modern dances incorporated. But we still have much to learn to understand more about the different techniques,” said Sonia.