Madhulita Mohapatra

Madhulita Mohapatra is an accomplished Odissi dancer and trainer. She has received her Nrutya Acharya from Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar, and Nrutya Shastri from Sangeet Natak Academy.

Born at Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, Orissa in the year 1978, she started her Sambalpuri folk dance and Odissi in childhood. She began her initial Odissi training under Guru Krushna Chandra Sahoo at Kalahandi Kala Kendra, Bhawanipatna. After completing her graduation, she moved to Bhubaneswar, where she was guided and groomed by Guru Pabitra Kumar Pradhan. Later on she joined Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar and continued her Odissi under the guidance of Padmashri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and Guru Smt Aruna Mohanty. She pursued her academics along with her dance and completed her Masters in Business Administration and Commerce.

She has been performing Odissi on stage across the country since childhood. Some of the programmes she has taken part are

Kalahandi Utsav, Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

National Integration Camp, Mysore, Karnataka, 1994

Dream Festival, Cuttack, 1996

25th All India Short-Play Competition & Theatre Seminar, Allahabad, 1992 and 1993

Youth Festival organised by All India Radio, Jeypore, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005

Jharsuguda Festival, 2002

Performed at Doordarshan Kendra, Bhawanipatna for the TV telecast, 1999, 2000, 2001

Performed at Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar for the TV telecast, 2002

Cuttack Bali Yatra, 2005, 2007

Konark Music & Dance Festival at Konark, 2006, 2007, 2008

Mukteshwar Utsav organised by Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar, 2005

Ganesh Puja 2008 Programme organised by Orissa Cultural Association, Bangalore

Apart from being a gifted Odissi dancer, she is an excellent Sambalpuri folk dancer, choreographer and performer. She was initiated in Sambalpuri folk dance by Shri Bhimsen Sahoo, Bhawanipatna. She went on to perform this dance form at many places in the country. Some of the numerous programmes where she performed are

National Integration Camp, Krishna Raj Nagar, Karnataka, 1994

National Integration Camp, Mysore, Karnataka, 1994

25th All India Short-Play Competition & Theatre Seminar, Allahabad, 1992 and 1993

Farm & Home Programmes organised by All India Radio, Jeypore, 1994-95

Youth Festival, Akash Vani, Jeypore, 1995, 1996, 1997

Beach Festival, Puri, 1993, 1998

Utkal Divas, Bhopal, 1996

The 50 Years of Independence, Folk Dance Festival, Bhubaneswar, 1997

Integration Camp, Pondicherry, 1996

National Integration Camp, Bhubaneswar, 2000

Madhulita Mohapatra has Masters in Commerce and Business Administration. Presently she is based at Bangalore and running her Odissi school, Charuja Dance Academy at Kasturinagar, near Banaswadi, Bangalore.

She can be reached at madhulita78@rediffmail.com; Phone No. +91-80-42052233