Cuttack (17.01.2026) :Tradition in Context, an Odissi dance presentation staged in Cuttack on January 17, 2026, examined the relationship between classical tradition and contemporary experience while paying tribute to two seminal figures in the history of Odissi – Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, whose birth centenary was commemorated this year, and Shri Babulal Doshi, founder of Kala Vikash Kendra (KVK).The presentation traced the artistic lineage shaped by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and the institutional vision of Babulal Doshi, whose contributions were instrumental in establishing Odissi as a globally recognized classical dance form.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s choreographic approachmarked by restraint, clarity, and emotional depthwas recalled through references to landmark works such as Kuru Yadu and Yahi Madhavi. His insistence on strengthening, rather than altering, classical form was underscored as a guiding principle of the presentation.Shri Babulal Doshi’s role as a cultural visionary was highlighted through his lifelong commitment to Kala Vikash Kendra. After leaving a successful business and political career, he dedicated himself fully to the institution, assembling an influential collective of scholars, musicians, theatre practitioners, and dance gurus. His later life of austerity and service remains closely associated with the growth of KVK as a leading centre for the arts.
The evening featured six original Odissi choreographies that addressed contemporary global issues through a classical framework, shaped by the artist’s three decades of crosscultural engagement in the United States. Developed in collaboration with artists across disciplinesmuch of it during the pandemic years – the works demonstrated how traditional repertoire can respond to present-day realities without departing from classical structure.
Among the featured works were Fire, a tribute to victims of the California wildfires with music by the Shri Ashit Desai; Vihang Gati (2026), inspired by Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull and structured on the Gatibhed Pallavi, with music based on Pandit Jasraj’s Jasrangi framework; The third dance,Trigger, was a response to school shootings in the United States, created in the aftermath of the Uvalde tragedy.Other works included Enigmatic Bliss (Bichitro Anondo), an interpretation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem reflecting on coexistence, loss, and renewal. Ek Azad Pankh, based on the poem An Unstuck Feather by Uday Dandavate, exploring freedom and responsibility; The concluding Meera Bhajan, centered on Meera Bai’s devotional composition Nand Nandana Bilamayee.
The presentation featured Dr. Kaustavi Sarkar, Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a disciple of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra and Srimati Sujata Mohapatra, as the solo performer. The other artists who collaborated on this project were music composers Dr. Anirban Bhattacharya from New Delhi, Dr. M. A. Jyothi from Mysore, and the leading mardal player Shri Ram Prasad Ganavarappu from Mumbai.
Tradition in Context positioned Odissi as a living classical formcapable of engaging contemporary audiences while remaining anchored in its aesthetic and philosophical foundations. The presentation served both as a tribute to the architects of Odissi’s modern history and as a reflection on its evolving global presence.Bottom of Form
