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Sharmila Biswas is a leading dancer
and choreographer in the field of Odissi classical dance form.
She is a senior disciple of the legendary Guru, Kelucharan
Mohapatra, Interested to find the origins of this style of
Temple Dance; she began to study the many vocabularies of
the Oriya creative arts. She has studied the life and works
of the ancient Mahari dancers (temple dancers of Orissa).
She has been trained in the variety of folk and tribal dance
and music traditions of Orissa. Sharmila has learnt the art
of Abhinay (expressional dance) from Guru Kalanidhi Narayan.
In 1990, she attended the Young Choreographers' workshop organized
by the American Dance Festival where she interacted with eminent
choreographers of world repute.
Noted for her originality in composition, technique
and stage design, her versatility ranges from Classical Odissi
Dance to experimental choreographic work. Her choreography
involves the expertise of a thoroughly researched knowledge
of the traditional movement skills of India. This gives her
the strength to reach out for new forms and create new mediums
to express unique contemporary statements through her work.
She has been awarded the Uday Shankar Award, for the
best choreography in 1998, by the Dept. Of Information &
Broadcasting, Govt. of West Bengal. She has also received
the Junior and subsequently the Senior Fellowship Award from
the Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India and the Central Sangeet
Natak Akademi. Sharmila is graded as an 'Outstanding' artist
by Doordarshan (Indian National Television) and 'Indian Council
of Cultural Relations', Ministry of External Affairs, Govt.
Of India.
Sharmila is the Founder Chairperson of the Odissi Vision &
Movement Centre - an institution created for the promotion
of Indian Dance & Music through research, training and
performances.
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