Bhubaneswar, Dec. 23: Maria Osmachko travels all the way from Ukraine to Odisha every year to learn the nuances of Odissi from veteran dancer Sujata Mohapatra.
Maria, who has been learning Odissi for the past three years, said: "There are no Odissi teachers in my country. I come here to train for a month every year." She saw a video of the Odissi doyen on YouTube once and immediately fell in love with it. "I had tears in my eyes after I saw the performance. I knew that this is what I wanted to do and the journey has been very fulfilling till now," the dancer said.
Odissi artistes from all over the world have assembled in the city to celebrate spirit of the dance form at the Odissi International dance festival being held at Bhanja Kala Mandap.
Japanese dancer Nanae Kezuka has been performing professionally for the past 10 years. "I began by learning Bharatnatyam, but the traditional aspects of Odissi fascinated me. I felt it was very unique," Kezuka said.
She also aims to spread the dance form in her native Japan.
"The culture of these countries is very different. I am sure it will enrich Japanese culture. It is a very difficult form but once you grasping it, it becomes interesting," she added.
Another performer at the event is 26-year-old Sri Lankan Buddhi Edirisinghe. He has been learning Odissi for six years and promotes it through a number of initiatives.
"I have made a documentary on Odissi, which I showcased at a number of festivals in Sri Lanka. I have also given demonstrations and plan to host workshops in the future," said the Odissi doctoral student at Calcutta's Rabindra Bharati University.
Buddhi was training in Kandyan dance where he was exposed to Odissi at a workshop. "I fell in love with it immediately and decided to come to India to train," he added.
For American Sarah Otto Combs, however, Odissi is a very challenging affair. She has been learning the dance form for the past four years. Despite that, it is also a sadhana for her. "I am enthused by the history and that attracted me towards Odissi. It is just not a physical form of art, but also a spiritual process for me. It is all about bhava and bhakti," she said.
Switzerland's Chandramukhi Muller has been living in Vrindavan for a few years. Apart from being a devotee at Iskcon, she is an ardent Odissi lover.
"My mother wanted to learn Odissi, but did not get the chance. I am fulfilling her dreams. It has made my life beautiful in every possible way," said Muller. She has been performing for 15 years now.
She hopes to see Odissi grow in her country and wants more people to take it up. "I have performed recitals in Switzerland and people have loved it," she added.
