ODISSI/ORISSI DANCE

Site Archive


Generally Speaking


(11/30/04) Performance Program Notes, for December 3rd & 4th, Orissi Dance Offering are now linked to this Performance page.

(11/19/04) Well I made a mistake with a link a short while back that unfortunately went site wide. The links seem to finally be all working correctly now. If you encounter a link you think is not working correctly, please, drop me a heads up via e-mail. It really would be appreciated.

(05/06/04) A video still frame has been added to the images of Evergreen's Dance Creativity and Culture class' performance of Truth.

(05/03/04) Due to the importance of the Panchakanya to the Orissi mahari dance style, a new page has been added to our site. Links are there to articles about the Pancha Kanya seminar in Kolkata last December (2003), and another article and discussion forum on the same subject. Just click on the Panchakanya bar (third down) of the menu box (top left) to see it.

(04/25/04) There are color promotional images from Truth, the last Orissi program presented at Evergreen, at the college Orissi site. Follow the Truth link in the Performance Index.

(03/29/04) This site was originally built with Microsoft Frontpage, but the amount of time spent updating pages and links was exorbitant. The last few weeks have been spent in changing this site over from Frontpage to Dreamweaver for easier site maintanence (sorry for any links that weren't working). In the process some pages have been split into multiple pages, as have the News, Links, and Awards page (now pages). There have also been a few pages added, and many have been updated to make the site more easy for you to navigate. The Performance links now lead to a page providing information on the most current performance. This information should still be on the News page in abreviated form. When possible, there will also be a publicity photo on the Performance page. When time permits, there will be more detailed information added to the Dance Archive, including whatever historicial artifacts can be found, like promotional materials (news releases and posters/flyers where possible).

Remember to check the Bookstore from time to time as new books are added to our selection as they become available.

(02/06/04) See the Photographs section of this page.

(01/21/04) Several  of the dancers' pages, linked to the Urvasi Dance page, have been updated.

(01/14/04) There is an interesting new link, I discovered entirely by accident. 

(09/09/03) I have been remiss in keeping up the links section. I will try and set aside some time to get it more up-to-date. I did mention one new link today.

Bookstore

(11/05/02) There are some new books in the book store. We are very excited to finally be able to provide copies of the Natyasastra! We also have an Orissi Dance novel now: A Bride for Jagannatha by Sisir Das. I haven't read it, but Ratna really liked it.

New Photographs

(11/30/04) Afraid I have put some of the entries belonging here (in New Photographs section) into the General Section (above). Anyway, the poster for the Dec 3 & 4, 2004, performance at Evergreen was designed by yours-truly. To see the enlarged image click on the small version on the Performance page.

(11/19/04) Well I made a mistake with a photo link a short while back that unfortunately went site wide. The links seem to finally be all working correctly now. If you encounter a link you think is not working correctly, please, drop me a heads up via e-mail. It really would be appreciated.

(05/06/04) A video still frame has been added to the images of Evergreen's Dance Creativity and Culture class' performance of Truth.

(05/03/04) Due to the importance of the Panchakanya to the Orissi mahari dance style, a new page has been added to our site. Links are there to articles about the Pancha Kanya seminar in Kolkata last December (2003), and another article and discussion forum on the same subject. Just click on the Panchakanya bar (third down) of the menu box (top left) to see it.

(02/06/04) Today I finished cleaning up the newest room in the gallery. There are now small photos to link the web pages together in the Delhi section as in the rest of the gallery. The photos were actually 'hung' in the gallery early December, 2003, just before we left for India. It is finally fit to show.

(01/21/04) Jamie Lynn Collie and Frank Casey have new photographs on their individual pages in the Urvasi section of this website.

(01/17/04) Sitara Thobani and Scheherazaad Cooper performed in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in December of 2003. A photograph showed up next day in the Kolkata Times of India. There is a copy of the news photo linked to their individual pages in the Urvasi section of this website.

(01/08/04) There are two informative photos linked to the News page showing the Purbashree Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex where Ratna just performed the Panchayakanya in Kolkata (Calcutta).

(12/03/03) There are a few new photographs in the gallery. At the bottom of the page, and to the right of the Khajuraha sculpture is a new section on Delhi. Sorry it took so long to get some new images up. The desire has been there, just not the time. Am going to be quite busy for the next month, but will add the small pictures for the links in January, and hopefully add more to the new section. --David

(09/09/03) Last month I worked hard on getting several more photos of Pankaj ji up before the 2003 Odissi Festival in Washington DC, held ostensibly in his honor. We had lots to do, and unfortunately not all the links were working properly when we left, so I had to finish the job after we returned home. This last week I've been pretty busy with other things and haven't had a chance to mention the links work now (come on, I'm peddling as fast as I can). Okay, the links work now. :)

(08/14/04) Another photo of Padmashri Guru Pankaj Das has been added to the Odissi gallery.

(08/14/03) There has been a new link added to Ratna's page which leads to a new/old photograph of her.

(07/30/03) There is a new photograph of the Urvasi Dancers. Click on the picture to see the enlargement.

(11/03/02) Another photograph of Minati Mishra graces the gallery.

(10/26/02) A photograph of Ratna, some of the Urvasi Dancers, and some Evergreen college students who took part in a choreography Ratna created about Americans' reactions to the 9-11 disaster will be here temporarily. As soon as possible it will be migrated it to Ratna's Evergreen site.

(10/24/02) Recent image of Aruna Mohanty added to Gallery.

(10/20/02) Promised pictures of Aruna Mohanty's Bethel Schools mini-tour.

(10/17/02) Dr. Minati Mishra's photograph has been added to the gallery.

(10/16/02) Two new dance photographs have been added to the gallery. Aruna Mohanty and Aloka Kanungo are now represented in the dancers section. While Aruna was here in Washington last week she did some work for schools in the form of demonstrating Orissi dance for students and answering questions about Orissi and India in general. Yudhisthir Nayak joined Aruna in this offering of Indian culture to Bethel and Tacoma school children. Soon I hope to have photographs available on this website of Aruna, Jujhi, the musicians, Bethel school children, and Bethel school staff as taken by the Bethel Arts Education & Curriculum Integration Director, Michael J. Sandner.

(08/22/02)  There have been a lot of changes made recently to this website. It's possible some of the photographs may not display, or some of the links may not work as intended. If you encounter a problem while browsing this site please, take a moment, and drop me an e-mail describing the problem. As soon as your e-mail is spotted the problem will be investigated at our end. Thanks for your help, and for your interest in Orissi Dance and our site. (David)

(08/08/02) The Maharis are taking their place on the inverted historical ladder of the gallery. There are a few other minor changes gradually happening in the gallery. See if you notice what they are. More pictures will be added as time permits. Unfortunately, my little flatbed scanner doesn't do very well with slides and negatives, so I need to find time and funds to get more prints made to add to the pictures in the gallery. There are so many photos I'd love to put in there!

(08/05/02) There are now photographs of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra in the photo gallery.

(08/03/02) Two new archival photographs of Ratna have been added. To see them go to her page by clicking on her name in the menu (upper left of this page) and then clicking on the photograph of her in the temple niche. Or, click here then click on her photo.

(08/02/02) Chapala Mishra has been added to the Orissi dancers section of the gallery.

(08/01/02) A photo of the Megheswar Temple accompanies the new sculpture picture.

(07/31/02) There is a new dance sculpture photo in the gallery.

(04/04/02) There is a new photograph of Sanjukta Panigrahi in the gallery. Follow the link to the old picture to find the new link.

(03/01/02) There is a photograph of a Chau Dance performance on the gallery page.

(12/26/01) There is a new photograph in the gallery. While unrelated to Orissi, it may provide some small viewing pleasure.

(12/08/01) An additional photo has been added to the below mentioned link. I may have to shrink the picture since it takes a while to download at its current size.

(12/05/01) There is a new photo link on Ratna's page.

(12/03/01) Look for new photographs on the Urvasi page!

(11/29/01) There is a photograph of Sanjukta Panigrahi in the photo gallery now.

Have you been missing some pictures?

 

(10/01/01) When in the photo gallery you will find that anytime you click on a small photograph (1.5 by 2 inches) you will be linked to a larger version of the small one. This works pretty much throughout our website were you find small pictures.

(09/25/01) There are new photographs linked to the Urvasi pages of Shyamali,  and Scheherazaad Cooper.

(09/08/01) The first page of the Odissi / Orissi sequence has been updated. A cropped video freeze frame, on the last page of the Orissi series of pages, shows Guru Gangadhar Pradhan's students performing at his 'Konark' Dance and Music Festival in 2001. David intends to rework the Orissi pages when he gets time.

There are links to new pages on the Urvasi Dance Company page. One new page features the Panchakanya dances. Another leads to a new page for Shyamali, Ratna's daughter. Shyamali started Orissi at nearly the same age Ratna started Kathak (4 years of age). 

The photo gallery continues to be a work in progress, but is slow going. It would be a good idea to continue checking back every week or so for new pictures. But don't mistakenly think all new pictures will be in the gallery! Both of the dancer's pages mentioned above (linked to the Urvasi page) have photos of the dancers. There should soon be images (at least temporarily video stills) of the other Urvasi dancers linked to the Urvasi page as well.

Working in Orissa

01/21/04: We returned early January from our most recent trip to India. We worked with the musicians in Orissa to prepare for the Pancha Kanya performance in Kolkata on December 26th, 2003 at the Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex in Salt Lake. We also spent some time finding the Sashimani Mahari for an interview. She was in very poor health when we arrived, but with some nourishment and caring she on her feet again in a few days. It was good to see old friends and make new ones.

06/24/01: We returned March 1st from our last trip to India. We spent from October to end of February this time. It was my first trip in a few years, but Ratna's second trip in 2000. Her first trip last year was taking a class of Evergreen College students to India for a couple of months.

All the best from,
Ratna and David


Work in progress

This site is a permanent work-in-progress, so we hope you will check back regularly and see what has been added.