The Odissi Profiles: Sharmila Biswas

Sharmila Biswas is a leading dancer and choreographer in the field of Odissi classical dance form. She is a senior disciple of the legendary Guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Interested to find the origins of this style of Temple Dance; she began to study the many vocabularies of the Oriya creative arts. She has studied the life and works of the ancient Mahari dancers (temple dancers of Orissa). She has been trained in the variety of folk and tribal dance and music traditions of Orissa. Sharmila has learnt the art of Abhinay (expressional dance) from Guru Kalanidhi Narayan.

In 1990, she attended the Young Choreographers' workshop organized by the American Dance Festival where she interacted with eminent choreographers of world repute.

Noted for her originality in composition, technique and stage design, her versatility ranges from Classical Odissi Dance to experimental choreographic work. Her choreography involves the expertise of a thoroughly researched knowledge of the traditional movement skills of India. This gives her the strength to reach out for new forms and create new mediums to express unique contemporary statements through her work.

She has been awarded the Uday Shankar Award, for the best choreography in 1998, by the Dept. Of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of West Bengal. She has also received the Junior and subsequently the Senior Fellowship Award from the Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. Sharmila is graded as an 'Outstanding' artist by Doordarshan (Indian National Television) and 'Indian Council of Cultural Relations', Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. Of India.

Sharmila is the Founder Chairperson of the Odissi Vision & Movement Centre - an institution created for the promotion of Indian Dance & Music through research, training and performances.

From her website's personal page....

"I like to work with the traditional artists of Orissa, of many fields. My dance vibrates with their dreams, their moods, their creativities.

I like to explore the areas where dance and other art forms overlap, and try to bring different dimensions.

I do not believe in presenting my work as an intellectual excercise on stage. I try to make my dances good dances, which will be understood by all, enjoyed by all; and when the curtain falls the artists and the audience will feel a sense of completeness and a sense of elevation.

I feel that our classical dance forms hold a vast heritage of knowledge, yet it need not be mummified pieces of movements and expressions. They should have a pulsating humane perspective and reflect the contemporary society."