Puri: As a young boy he used to dance to the tune of any song aired on television. However, his parents had a desire to groom the young lad for a white-collar job. Defying parental choice in choosing his career, Bibek Mohanty of the Holy City here has matured into an acclaimed Odissi dancer.
Mohanty has not only showcased his dancing skills before audiences in cities across the country but also established an Odissi dance institution, Charu Nartan, in the Pilgrim City. At present, at least 50 youngsters, including one each from Spain, USA and Portugal, are honing their dancing skills under the guidance of Mohanty.
However, the 31-year-old dancer still believes that he is in a learning stage and requires more time and practice to become somebody in the field of Odissi.
According to Mohanty, his love for a classical dance like Odissi began during his student days in a local high school. “I was a member of Boy Scouts and had gone to Assam to participate in an event. Many participants had performed classical dances at the event but I presented a folkdance. I was attracted to classical dance after witnessing huge applause for it from the audience,” recalled the dancer.
Mohanty had learned the nitty-gritty of Odissi under the guidance of noted exponents Nihar Nalini Panda, Narayan Pande, Padmashree Ileana Citaristi and Bichitranand Swain.
In the last few years, Mohanty performed at Konark Festival, Srikhetra Mahotsav, Khajuraho Festival in Madhya Pradesh, Kamakhya and Brahmaputra festivals in Assam and Ganesh Utsav in Maharashtra.
“Me and my troupe have presented shows in places like Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. I used to perform during the Car Festival and Chandan Yatra of Srimandir deities,” Mohanty said.
Mohanty, who has judged several dance shows, believes that the blessings of his mother and Lord Jagannath have helped him a lot to become a good Odissi dancer. “My mother was the first person in our family to accept my love for Odissi. It is Lord Jagannath who guided me to pursue my career as a dancer,” Mohanty avers.
PNN
