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Dancers Leena Mohanty |
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Bani Ray  Bani Ray an exponent of Odissi has been delving in dance since the age of six. She studied dance under some of the most revered gurus and has been learning Odissi since 1970, from Shri Hari Krishna Behera, Valmiki Banerjee, Guru Shri Durga Charan Ranbir, and the Late Guru Shri Nath Raut. Apart from Odissi, Bani has also studied Mohini Attam, Manipuri and various other folk dance forms. Bani has performed extensively throughout India and the United States and has received numerous scholarships, fellowships, and awards for her expertise in the field of dance. As a joint director of Nehru Institute of Odissi Research and Training in Delhi, India, she has organized international seminars, symposiums and training programs for aspiring young dancers. Bani is currently teaching, performing and doing in-depth research and training on the style and compositions of the Late Guru Deba Prasad Das. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, Bani teaches at Lotus Music and Dance Studios in midtown Manhattan. |
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Alicia Braithwaite,  Alicia Braithwaite, was born in Brooklyn, NY. She performed Odissi dance for the first time at the age of 15. It was at a Hare Krsna festival that she witnessed Odissi dance for the first the time and met her first teacher, Deva Deva Jagatpate Das. Alicia was fascinated by the way the dancers were able to convey sacred knowledge through rhythmical foot movements, graceful hand gestures, sculptured body (torso) poses, coupled with dynamic facial and eye movements. It was here that the seeds for God consciousness were planted. After graduating with a masters degree in Speech Language Pathology, Alicia met and continues to train and perform in the United States and India with Bani Ray and Guru Durga Charan Ranbir. In addition to Odissi, Alicia also studies Bharatanatyam (another classical Indian dance form) with Jaan Freeman. Alicia's mission in dance is to use Odissi as a vehicle for promoting God consciousness, and spreading India's vedic wisdom. |
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Sonali Mishra Sonali Mishra, disciple of Smt. Sujata Mohapatra, was initiated into Odissi dance at the age of fourteen under the Chitralekha Dance Academy with (Kalashree) Chitralekha, (Kalashree) Ellora, and Guru Devraj Patnaik . Sonali has performed extensively as a soloist at various festivals and programs in India, Canada, the US and the UK to include: the Asian American Dance Festival (New York), the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center (Boston), The Brooklyn Folk Feet Festival (New York), the Mahari Award Program (Orissa), and the 3rd International Odissi Festival (Orissa) to name a few. She has also performed at and conducted a number of lecture-demonstrations at the University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, City University of New York, and Stony Brook University. Sonali holds a Bachelors degree in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently living in New York City. |
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Shaleen Singh Taiis Pascal-Charles (Director of Swaha)- began training in Odissi at the age of 11 under Deva Deva Jagatpate and has been under the guidance of Guru Durga Charan Ranbir for the past 11 years. She is currently mentored by Smt Bani Ray, Smt. Sujata Mohapatra, and Smt. Leena Mohanty. Described as “strong and beautiful” by Deborah Jowitt of the Village Voice, she’s danced with: Jaan Freeman Repertoire, Rajika Puri & Dancers and is a co-founder/ director of Trinayan Collective. Her re-staging of choreography for the collective was well received by Dance Magazine and the Village Voice. Taiis has conducted workshops in NYC for The Joyce Theater Education Department, Lotus Music & Dance Studios and co-curated the World Dance Showcase 2007 for the Publick Playhouse Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. Taiis is also a licensed physical therapist and founded Trinayan Dance Theater in 2008. |
Leena Mohanty,(Director of Swaha)- has been awarded the coveted and prestigious Mahari award and was the recipient of the first Ustad Bismillah Khan Youth Award in 2006. Through her commitment to Odissi, Leena has proven to be a versatile dancer with a vision. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Bansi Bilas, an institution devoted to training young and upcoming dancers of Guru Deba Prasad Das' School of Odissi and provides a creative outlet for dancers, musicians and art lovers in Bhubaneswar. Ms. Mohanty curated and was the artistic director for the successful Odissi Dance Festival Anjali in Kuala Lampur , Malaysia 2009 (photos above), which also featured original choreography by Ms. Mohanty and was well received by audiences and critics alike. Ms. Mohanty is a critically acclaimed and celebrated dancer with a strong and impeccable command of technique. Smt. Mohanty's dance is marked with clarity, graceful intricacies, eloquent expressions, and precision evoking the Rasa with its full luster and essence.