ARUNA MOHANTY
ODISSI PERFORMER
Nothing matched the techniques, choreography and sensitivity of her performance which held back her audience to their seats. She is a gifted Odissi dancer, excelling in the ‘abhinaya’ aspect of it. She has contributed greatly to internationalize Odissi both in India and abroad. Consequently, she is closely associated with several cultural institutions abroad including, in Canada, Holland, Japan, France, and the USA, with the objective of professionally training artists alongside internationalizing Odissi.
She is Aruna Mohanty, born into an erudite family, she followed her father’s foot prints, a writer and a theatre person. While listening to music and aining inspiration, she carved out her own artistic vocation.
Guru Aruna Mohanty is globally acclaimed not only as an Odissi performer but also as an innovative choreographer and master educator. Her Guru Gangadhar Pradhan was her guiding force in this journey. She recalls her Guru’s words, “Dance is visual art and fitness is mandatory’- by which she abides till date. Now that Odissi has successfully spread across the globe, Ms Mohanty is at her best in popularizing the Odia traditions, lifestyle, literature and music.
She has been a visiting scholar at several universities of America, such as the University of California, University of South Carolina and Cornell niversity.
Along with various prestigious awards, she was presented with the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Mahari Award, Guru Pankaj Charan Research Foundation
Bharat Bhavan Award, conferred upon the recipient by the President of India. She also received the Padma Shri, the fourth civilian award in the year 016-2017.
VARINDIA takes pride in featuring this culturally affluent Odissi icon in its Crown Jewels of Odisha special edition.
