Odissi is the classical dance form of Orissa in north-east India. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. First century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British raj but has been reconstructed since India gained independence. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis,[1] and upon the basic square stance known as chauka.
Pankaj Charan Das and Deba Prasad Das were some of the foremost proponents of the revived Odissi. Sanjukta Panigrahi, the great exponent of Odissi, embodied Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's endeavour to revive the art form. Guru Surendranath Jena and his disciples, including Usha Chettur and Radhika Jha, have propagated a different style of Odissi in which the poses are moving sequences rather than static poses. The style is slower and requires great balance and control.
Today gurus of dance have created a new generation of highly talented dancers. Most of the present day gurus were Gotipua dancers themselves and have passed on the dance form to dancers and teachers all over India and abroad. In the early fifties the outside world hegan to take note of Odissi. Priyambada Mohanty represented Orissa in the classical dance category at an Inter University Youth Festival. Dr Charles Fabri hailed Odissi as a great dance form and helped Indrani Rehman study it. Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pankaj Charan Das, Deb Prasad Das, Mayadhar Raut, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kum Kum Mohanty, Sonal Mansingh, Madhavi Mudgal and Protima Gauri, all contributed notably to the propagation of Odissi.
The current crop of dancers includes Gangadhar Pradhan, Durga Charan Ranbir, Madhavi Mudgal, Sonal Mansingh, Kiran Segal, Aruna Mohanty, Ramli Ibrahim, Sujata Mohapatra, Daksha Mashruwala, Aloka Kanungo, Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Jyoti Rout, Manoranjan Pradhan, Leena Mohanty, Madhumita Patnaik, Nandita Behera, Jhelum Paranjape, Ratna Roy, Ileana Citaristi, Joyoti Das, and many others