Amanda Geroy from USA.Telegraph picture.

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 14: Amanda Geroy may hail from USA, but when she performs Odissi, she transforms into a divine being who has just one identity, a devotee of the supreme power that created the universe. Amanda is today one of the most promising Odissi dancers.

“I started performing on stage at the age of six and am trained in visual arts, drama and many forms of dance,” Amanda says.

A bachelor in theatre from Northwestern University, Chicago, Amanda has received a number of scholarships and honours for her excellence in theatre and academics.

“It was in San Francisco in 1999 that I met Odissi guru Jyoti Rout. I found Odissi was a wonderful unification of devotion and artistry. So I immediately began to study the art form,” says Amanda.

In 2000, she reached India and began training under guru Jyoti Rout and guru Padma Charan Dehury.

“I came back in 2001, for two months. But I felt there was much more I could learn and in December 2006, decided to make it a long-term stay in Orissa,” explains the danseuse.

At present, Amanda is training under guru Sujata Mohapatra at Srjan and is also a disciple of mardala exponent guru Banamali Maharana. “I believe that to portray the abhinayas in Odissi with finesse, it is necessary to spend enough time in Orissa to understand the culture and the Oriya mind which revolves around the worship of Lord Jagannath,” says Amanda. She is glad to have received tutelage under different gharanas of Odissi. “My gurus have helped me specialise in different aspects of the dance,” she says.

While she has performed at various national and international dance festivals in Orissa, she has also presented many recitals in her country. Recently, Amanda also performed at the international dance and music festival in Cuttack. “It is my wish that all beings connect to the divine source of peace and universal love, be it in anyway,” says Amanda.