Odissi explores bhava and rasa, says Jivan Devi

Vijayawada: "I like Odissi dance because the dancer can effectively exhibit the basics of dance fundamentals like foot and hand moments to explore more bhava and rasa in expressions.

Odissi performance is a mixture of nrutta, nritya, natya," said Jivan Devi in a brief interview with 'The Hans India' when she performed Odissi dance in Vijayawada organized by Cultural Center.

Devi said that Odissi is one of seven classical Indian dance forms and it is very popular in India. She also said that Odissi is a classical dance art form of illustrating stories of mythological and religious and it also based on devotional and spiritual keerthans to showcase the dancer with excellent body movements, expressions and impressive gestures.

While referring the great contribution of legends of first line Odissi dance gurus Kelucharan Mohapatra, Raghunath Dutta, Deba Prasad Das, Pankaj Charan Das and Gangadhar Pradhan, Harikrishna Behara, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, Kumkum Mohanty, Aruna Mohanty, Anita Babu, and Aadya Kaktikar, Jivan Devi said that their guidance and path is a hand book for the present dancers learning Odissi.

Jivan Devi said that having Sharon Lowen as Guru for learning Odissi dance is great pleasure and she also said that Sharon is also originally from USA and settled in New Delhi to promote and propagate Odissi dance.

Five years back Devi came to Delhi from Colombia, North America, to learn Odissi dance and joined in Sharon dance school. Jivan learnt Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance formats in USA. She has given a number of performances in India and wish to know more about Odissi and also other dance formats.

Jivan Devi performed Jayadeva's 'astapadi' and received appreciations from the elite audience gathered in the auditorium. She felt happy to perform in Vijayawada and she would like to come again and again to this capital city to spread Odissi dance flavor to the connoisseurs.