training

Odissi is the classical dance style of the state of Orissa - the land of sculpturesque temples and lilting music. The dance imbibes both the temple sculptures and the lilting music. While watching the dance, one feels as if the sculptures have come to life and are moving to the tune of the lilting music.

A traditional Odissi repertoire consists of:

Mangalacharan: The invocatory item. After paying homage to Lord Jagganath, the reigning deity of Orissa, a sloka (hymn) in praise of some God or Goddess is sung, the meaning of which is brought out through dance. Mangalacharan also includes the ‘bhumi pranam’, begging forgiveness of mother earth for stamping on her, and the ‘trikhandi pranam’, a threefold salutation, above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to all the teachers and in front of the chest to the respected audience.

Batu Nritya: A dance piece offered to the Lord of dance - Lord Shiva in his ‘Batuka Bhairava’ form. This piece brings out the essence of Odissi.

Pallavi: A pure dance item for which there are no meaningful words sung, but a particular raga (musical melody) is elaborated through eye movements, beautiful body postures & intricate footwork.

Abhinay: Through hand gestures (the language of Indian classical dance), facial expressions and body movements (mime) the meaning of a poetic piece is brought forth & conveyed to the audience. It is telling a story without using the spoken word.

Dashavataar: A dance piece describing the ten incarnations of the Lord.

Moksha: A pure dance item with only the mardal-pakhawaj (percussion) accompaniment - the dance of liberation.

One may feel that the repertoire of an Odissi performance is limited. But it is abundant. There are various items of Mangalacharan, Pallavi, and Abhinay depending on the hymn, raga or poem chosen.

Smitalay offers a five-year course in Odissi dance in which time a student becomes an adept performer. Classes are held two times a week. The duration of each class is one hour. The year begins in June and ends in April. There is a ten day Diwali vacation and a month long summer vacation.

The typical course content and fee structure is as follows: -

For a new student there is an entrance fee of Rs. 50/-. If a student remains absent for a whole month, then that student will pay only 25% of the fee. But if the student misses only a few classes, there is no consideration.

Students coming from other Guru’s of Odissi will pay the fee according to the slot they fall in.

The annual function of Smitalay is held every year on the 17th of October. Students who have completed one year normally participate in this programme.

Short-term crash courses are also available. The method will depend on how much time the student can allot for classes- this is mainly for students coming from out of Mumbai. Details can be worked out individually.

Students whose pickup is good & who are sincere and dedicated are given a chance in the group Odissi programs that Smitalay often performs.

The main branch of Smitalay is in Santacruz West. Smitalay also has branch in Panvel, New Mumbai.

Faculty

At the main branch of Smitalay the faculty members include Guru Smt. Jhelum Paranjape, Ankur Ballal, Ketaki Shetge,  Dipali Tikam, Rupali Kadam.

The above faculty members are active artistes of Smitalay's repertory (performing) group. They have traveled widely with various dance productions of Smitalay - notable among them being the ballet 'Leelavati'. Their travels have taken them to Delhi, Baroda, Mysore, Konark, Bhubaneshwar, Madras and many places all over Maharashtra. They have been part of the inaugural show of the Marathi Doordarshan channel 'Sahyadri' and also the TV serial on classical dance styles of India - 'Nrityangan'.

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