Bhubaneswar: At 20, Mumbai-based Atrrayee Chowdhury is already showing the promise to make it big in the world of Odissi.

Atrrayee was here to perform at the recently concluded Odissi International.

Her vibrant movements and grasp over the dance form have left a mark at the festival that saw the performance of dancers from India and abroad.

A student of English honours, Atrrayee says: "I deliberately took up distance education so that I can devote a large chunk of my time to dancing."

Told that her solo recital had won the appreciation of dance lovers for her sense of rhythm and graceful movements, Atrrayee said that whatever she had been able to do would not have been possible without the guidance of her Mumbai-based guru Shubhada Varadkar.

Atrrayee said her guru, a cancer survivor, was a constant source of inspiration and encouragement for her.

"My guru Shubhada Varadkar has gone through a lot of obstacles, but that never came in the way of her dancing career. Other than my parents, she has been a huge inspiration," Atrrayee said.

In her performance at the festival, Atrrayee wove a beautiful tapestry of rhythm in charukeshi pallavi. Involving a lot of footwork and facial expressions, the recital began in a slow pace but picked up a delightful pace that culminated in a crescendo. Apart from a solo recital, she also performed with her group.

Music and dance has been in the family for Atrrayee, who began learning Odissi while she was in Class VI. The young dancer's father Arup Chowdhury is also an accomplished singer, who has a few Rabindrasangeet albums to his credit.

Asked what drew her to Odissi, Atrrayee, who aspires to become a professional performer, was prompt to reply - "The gracefulness of Odissi."

At this young age, Atrrayee has performed at a number of places in India and abroad. Apart from performing in her home city of Mumbai, she had taken to the stage at several places including Udaipur, Aurangabad and Calcutta.

Before coming down to Bhubaneswar for the Odissi International, she, along with her group, was invited to showcase the dance form in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.

Even though she has performed at several places, Atrrayee said the pleasure of performing at the home of Odissi was something special. It was a desire that she had always longed for, she said with a smile.

"Odissi originated from Odisha and therefore the experience to perform here was amazing. Moreover, I got to know a number of dancers from foreign countries and was amazed to see their passion for Indian classical dance and music," she said.

"I hope to return here again and again to perform," Atrrayee said as she signed off.