Danseuse Richa Mohanty has mastered the intricacies of Odissi with great dedication over the years and is on a mission to popularise the classical dance form across the globe
Rashmi Rekha Das
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Her devotion to her chosen vocation is unadulterated. By her own admission she eats, drinks and sleeps dance. She has played a stellar role in popularising Odissi in foreign shores. The Odissi artiste exudes vivacity on and off stage. Apart from performing in prestigious festivals across the country, she has performed authentic renderings on international podiums. Meet UK-based Richa Mohanty who is on a mission to spread the dance form across the globe. Her performances at International Dance Festival in Basingstoke, Drishti Charity show at Amnesty International Auditorium in London, Dance Festival in Enfield and the Asian Voice and Annual Festival in Harrow have held audiences spellbound.
An MBA student, Richa was drawn to Odissi at a young age. “I started learning the dance form under Gurus Parsuram Setty and Sudhakar Sahu. When I was in school I used to call my friends over to my place and make them sit and watch me dance. I grew up participating at various school- and district-level competitions and fairs. After matriculation, I drifted from one dance form to another. I tried learning fusion and modern, but soon realised none had the charm of classical dance. As I drifted away from Odissi I slowly grew disillusioned with other dance forms and started developing a longing to come back to Odissi,” she said.
Asked what she liked most about Odissi, Richa replied, “I try to combine grace and spontaneity in my steps because if you lose any one of these two qualities, the other inevitably suffers. To achieve spontaneity and grace I try to stick to the 3 Ds – Dedication, Discipline and Direction. Outside Orissa, we have very few Odissi learning centres, which compelled me to set up the Sodh Dance Academy in Mumbai so that aspiring artistes could take training. The first thing I like about Odissi is its permanence. You can perform as long as you want, and there is always a growth path. The growth is possible because of the rich cultural heritage of our tradition. This richness and timelessness is not always present in other dance forms. Moreover, the specifics like ‘chuka’, ‘trivangi’, ‘bhanga’, ‘atibhanga’ make the dance form unique.”
Richa has been inspired by the Kelucharan gharana of Odissi. “I owe my success to my teacher and sister Sujata Mohapatra, daughter-in-law of Odissi maestro Kelucharan Mohapatra. She embodies perfection. I love her style and expressions. She leaves everyone mesmerised by her moves. Her dedication and discipline are qualities I wish I had. I have learnt a lot of valuable lessons from her dance troupe Srjan. It is the training I received from her that took my career to a higher level,” she said.
Richa recounted a memorable incident: “Before I first performed at the International Dance Festival in Basingstoke I was a little shaky. I entered the stage and the music started playing. After a couple of minutes the music suddenly stopped due to a technical glitch. I almost broke down on stage. One person from the audience started playing the same song on YouTube and urged me to carry on with the performance. That person was my husband. The audience gave him a big round of applause.”
Though the danseuse has performed in many shows, her most memorable performance was at the Amnesty International Hall in London. “The performance at Amnesty International Hall was an eye-opener: I realised how much people around the world loved Odissi. Never before had I realised that the dance I was so passionate about would be received with so much appreciation by foreigners that they would clamour for a repeat performance. The event opened up a world of opportunities for me.”
Richa whose goal it is to attain perfection in Odissi and pass it on to the next generation of learners in its pristine form, spoke at length about the hurdles she faced on her journey. “Being a woman was a problem as I had to convince my parents that I needed to step outdoors to learn the dance form. While the first encouragement came from home, the first resistance too came from my family members. When I was unmarried my father was reluctant to let me travel to different places to perform. However, after marriage these problems ceased to exist as my husband is quite enthusiastic about Odissi and accompanied me to far off places where performances were scheduled until I could manage to travel myself. He has been a constant support. The next big challenge came my way when I drifted away from Odissi for a while to explore other dance forms. That was a phase of confusion when I wanted to do everything but soon got disillusioned. I could not find anything to sustain myself in other dance forms. Then I started thinking about what I had lost. One fine morning the realisation dawned on me that what I had been chasing was a chimera and it was then I decided to return to Odissi. I don’t regret the decision,” she said.
Rapid fire
If not a dancer what would you have been?
A business executive.
What are your favourite dishes?
Butter paneer and chilli chicken. Of course, I love nothing more than ice cream.
What are the three must-carry items in your handbag?
A photo of Lord Jagannath, my cell phone and visiting cards.
Who are your favourite actors?
Leonado DiCaprio, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit
