Odissi performance by Shakti Swarupa Bir and (below) Kuchipudi fusion dance by guru Srikant Raghupatruni and his troupe from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. Telegraph pictures

Berhampur, Feb. 10: On seeing her perform on stage, it is difficult to believe that the dancer can neither hear the sound of music nor sing.

Thirty-year-old Shakti Swarupa Bir, who is deaf and mute, cast a spell on the audience through her immaculate body movements and gestures, which constitute the core of Odissi.

She mesmerised the audience at the Shree cultural function, organised by the Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation at Town Hall here last night.

Shakti Swarupa, who was seen in Hindi film Hamari Beti, directed by A.K. Bir, is at present working as a dance teacher in Sai International School, Bhubaneswar. She performed Madhurastakam to the tune of Adharam Madhuram, Badanam Madhuram in Raagmalika for about 20 minutes without any fault and the entire audience came under her spell.

Chitta Ranjan Acharya, an electrical engineer working with Talcher thermal power plant and also her mentor, said Shakti was extremely talented.

“I knew Shakti Swarupa, when she was six years old and her father Durga Madhab Bir was my neighbour. I taught the steps of Charlie Chaplin to her when she was only six years old and I knew she was talented. I first visualise the concept and then ask her to follow steps on the rhythm and timing, which she remembers and repeats perfectly. She got only two days to rehearse for the dance recital at the Shree cultural function,” said Chitta Ranjan.

Shakti’s Odissi performance was so impressive that Bhagaban Panda, president of the Odiya Kalyan Sangha, Mumbai, immediately invited her to Mumbai to perform there during the coming rath yatra.

Other attractive features of the function were the Kuchipudi fusion by Guru Srikant Raghupatruni and his troupe from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

They created Guinness Book of Records twice during 2010 and 2011 for organising the largest mahabrunda nrutyam with 5,600 members throughout the world and staged more than 3,500 performances throughout India and abroad.

Guru Srikant Raghupatruni, along with other artistes, including Kauondinya, Sirisha, Manjulata, Nalini, Pratyushaw, Hamsini, Balachandar and Mounika, performed Ganesh Stuti, Shiv Tandavam and Sakthi Swaroopini.

Indirabai Jangde of Chhattisgarh, along with her party, performed Pandavani. She mesmerised the audience by depicting the Mahabharat with her attractive voice. Well-known scuba diver Sabir Bux sang Jay Odisha song on the stage along with the screening of his under water films.