The 1st annual Odissi Dance Mela is organized by London Odissi dancers featuring dance, workshops, food and art from Orissa. Leading dance-artist, Janhabi Behera from Orissa is visiting UK and will teach and perform. She will facilitate two workshops in London leading up to this finale performance at the Nehru Centre.
The finale features a full display of Odissi dance, opening with Sambalpuri, a vibrant Oriya group folk dance learned in the workshop) followed by solos & group dances by London-based Odissi dancers, Tiyasha Dutta Paul, Devaki Thomas, Tirthi Patnaik & Pallavi Vijay & ending with an elaborate selection from the Odissi repertoire by exquisite headliner Janhabi Behera.
Janhabi Behera began her formal training in Odissi dance in 1991, in Orissa, India, under the guidance of Guru Shri Yudhistir Nayak and Guru Ramesh Jena of the renowned Orissa Dance Academy and later under Guru Padma Shri Gangadhar Pradhan and Smt. Aruna Mohanty. She is a deeply expressive dancer known for her skilful gracious moves and is a sought after soloist. Janhabi has performed internationally and recently won the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Nrtiya Purashkar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi.