post news network, Bhubaneswar, April 24: The Nrutiya Upasana Pitha, a dance institute, celebrated its 5th annual function at the IDCOL auditorium here Friday.
Dance performances by the students of the institute, which included Odissi dance, Batu dance, folk dance like Sambalpuri and Bihu dance of Assam, enthralled the audiences.
The opening dance Mangalacharana, performed by six-to-seven-years-old students, dressed in traditional Odissi attire, captivated everyone present.
Barenya Sabat, a Class V student of the DAV Public School and also a student of the dance institute said, “I liked Odissi dance from the very beginning. The style, expression, body movement – everything is so delicate and beautiful. Dance is a kind of an exercise; it keeps a person fit and fine. The expression and hand movements are two things I like the most in the dance. I want to continue the dance and hope to be a great dancer.”
Sonali Mohapatra, a noted Odissi dancer and also the founder of the institute never stopped dreaming even after a tragedy which made her completely deaf when she was seven. This institute is like her dream taking shape in reality. “Dance is something without which I won’t survive. After I lost my hearing power, my parents motivated me and supported me to have faith on myself. It is because of my father Nirmal Mohapatra, who is a great dancer I reached this stage. Full dedication towards dance and zest to achieve something helped me to prove my ability”. This institute, which began its journey in 1998, has so far trained many students in Odissi dance.