Odissi is indigenous to Orissa in eastern India. It is predominantly a dance for women, with postures that replicate those found in temple sculptures. Based on archaeological findings, odissi is believed to be the oldest of the surviving Indian classical dances. Odissi is a very complex and expressive dance, with over fifty mudras (symbolic hand gestures) commonly used.
The classical music and dance form of Odisha was prefixed with “Odissi” by noted Odia poet Kabichandra Kalicharan Pattanayak, who was the centre of the cultural revival of Odisha post-independence, to retain its distinct identity.
Odissi dance form can be broken down to the movement of the head, bust and torso and the accompanying gestures and expressions. The soulful expressions accompanied by graceful gestures and deft movements punctuated with intermittent moments of stillness appropriates watching Odissi Dance to “Poetry in Motion”.
The range of emotions portrayed is huge and touches every emotional chord – right from melancholy to ecstasy, sensual to rage, pride to devotion, and philosophical to the religious.
Picture Credit : Google
