Bhubaneswar: From a yoga instructor to a prominent Odissi dancer in USA, the journey of Douglas Ridings has been an incredible one.

Based in Seattle, he had begun to learn the dance form since 2005. "I came to know about Odissi from one of my students. I got really curious and started to take lessons, and there has been no stopping since then," said the 48-year-old dancer.

Like Douglas, a number of foreign nationals practising Odissi have gathered at the ongoing Odissi International Festival being held at Bhanja Kala Mandap here.

Adept with brisk movement and intricate footwork, his abhinaya gathered loud applauses on Thursday. He staged the recital, along with 10 other dancers USA.

Apart from various parts across USA, he has performed in Austria, Canada and Spain among others.

"I love its subtlety, refinement and rigor. It is the hardest dance form as it needs huge co-ordination," said Douglas, who started learning Odissi from Ratna Roy.

Jamielynn Colley, another member from the same dance troupe as Douglas, is quite enthused with the tales associated with the dance form.

LOVE FOR ODISSI BRINGS COUNTRIES TOGETHER

"I have read a lot about Odissi, and its origin from the temples is really mystifying. Once I saw Kelucharan Mohapatra performing in my state when I was a kid, and that took my fancy towards the dance form," said Colley, who has been performing since 1996.

Although her mother and grandmother were Flamenco dancers, she loves Odissi for its spontaneity and splendour.

Amandine Bernier, another dancer from France, had an interesting tale to share. Bernier who has been performing bharatnatyam since the past 10 years, said: "Almost a year ago, I came across Odissi. I was really engrossed by its softness and lyrical nature, and since then, I began to take classes in the dance."

This was her first Odiss performance in India. "I was really excited to showcase the art form in the place from where it originated. It was a charming affair," she said.

Nanae Kezuka, who has come from Japan to perform at the event, has been a professional performer for the past 10 years.

She affirmed that she wanted to spread it in her country. "The culture of both these countries is very different. I am very sure it will enrich the culture of my native land. It is a very difficult dance form, but the more you start getting a grasp of it, the more it becomes interesting," she said.

She further said the popularity of the dance was rapidly increasing in her country.