VISIT TO ART VISION DANCE ACADEMY

 Indian classical dances starting from Sattriya, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam to Odissi have always fascinated me. When I visited Odisha for my higher studies I was lucky enough to get this opportunity to explore more about these dances which are associated with the very fabric of Indian culture and life.

I first heard about Ileana Citaristi from my roommate. Padmashree Ileana Citaristi is an exponent of Odissi dance. The more I read about her surfing the pages on the internet the more inquisitive I was. Finally this an opportune moment to visit her came during the second year of my stay in the coastal state when I became part of Ekamra Walks.

Founded in the year 1996 by Ileana Citaristi a renowned Odissi dancer this academy is located in Old Town, Bhubaneswar. When I reached it one early morning I found this old building and  I fell in love with it. The ambiance around, the beauty of Ekamra Van which is the medicinal garden, and the view of the Lingaraj Temple were enough to make me fall in love with the place again and again. I met this famous  Odissi and Chhau dancer during my first visit to the Academy. On the walls of the Academy, I could see the different awards given to her and her pictures in the Odissi dance poses. A beautiful stage is present to enthrall the audience after the long walk of the Old Town to let loose to the tune of the Odissi dance. When I enjoyed the recital at the academy I could relate it to the numerous sculptures depicted on the walls of Old Town. This is the beauty of Ekarma Walk. Poses like Tribhangha seen in some of the temple sculptures are well represented in the dance recital. The long walk of nearly two hours culminates with the visit to Art Vision Academy.

*tribhanga posture: It refers to the three-bended form of the body.

*Chhau: It is a form of mask dance that uses vigorous martial movements to narrate mythological stories. There are three main styles of Chhau dance-Saraikella Chhau in Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj Chhau in Odisha, and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal.



                                                    Source-Ekamra Walks Facebook page

Reference-Indian Art And Culture, Nitin Singhania.


Location: Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

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