A B O U T U S
Ananda Arts is an arts organisation focussed on creating a centre of artistic excellence and development in Odissi Dance in the South East of England, with the hope of developing the art form and bringing the rich tradition and heritage of Oriya dance and music to the local community and surrounding areas.
As well as holding performances, artist development opportunities and weekly dance classes, the organisation engages with Odissi dance artists and emerging artists on a wider international level, inviting practitioners from all over the world to attend our Odissi Festival, the first of its kind in Bedford.
Ananda Arts has successfully held four Arts Council Funded annual festivals from 2017- 2023, with weeklong residential intensives with Guru Madhavi Mudgal, culminating in the much acclaimed performance Anandotsavam, showcasing leading UK artistes from all Indian classical dance styles.
Ananda Arts is a member of One Dance UK and Akademi, South Asian Arts.
A R T I S T I C D I R E C T I O N
Parvati Rajamani is the Artistic Director of Ananda Arts. She began learning Odissi at the age of six from Guru Harekrishna Behera and then continued with Padma Sri Guru Madhavi Mudgal training at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi - a premium dance institution for classical Indian music and dance. She was also fortunate enough to be trained under the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra during the many workshops he conducted in Delhi. Parvati is a graduate in Odissi, a Sahitya Kala Parishad scholarship holder and on the panel of the ICCR for Odissi dancers. She continues to keep close ties with her Guru, Madhavi Mudgal, and under her guidance - with collaboration from Odissi teachers (ODUK) - Ananda Arts has launched the first Grade 1-8 Odissi syllabus open to everyone with the Elite Performing Arts Examination Board (EPAEB).
Her many explorative efforts include her team’s recent involvement with the Philaharmonia in the Hear & Now project, leading the live music for Odissi Ensemble (an Odissi dance performing group that toured UK and performed at Durbar Festival), performances and workshops in the Higgins museum, Bedford, community Collaborations with Queens Park Community Organisation (QPCO), University of Bedfordshire, Bedford Creative Arts ( BCA ), Bedfordshire Cultural Partnership (BCP) and Kadam, a premier Arts organisation in UK.
She has been highly commended for her significant contribution with the Everyday Heroes Award in excellence in Education & by the SEVA trust in 2024.
“Parvati has that greatest of boons, that inscrutable something called body poetry and unusual feel for choreography” - Leela Venkataraman, The Hindu
O D I S S I O R I G I N S
Odissi is one of the classical dance forms of India. Originating from the eastern state of Odisha, its repertoire is identified by distinctive melodies, rhythmic patterns and both the feminine curvature of the body ( tribhangi ) and a masculine square shaped stance ( chowka ).
Meticulous hand gestures, poignant facial expressions, deliberate rhythms with the feet and perfect balance allow the dancer to focus on the mind and the body to channel all thoughts and emotions towards pristine physical expression and creativity. The dance form lends itself beautifully to fitness, health, mental and physical well being.
It is one of the fastest growing classical dance forms of India in popularity and it is the vision of Ananda Arts to see the increasing development and professionalisation of the art form in the UK as well as bringing it to vibrant new audiences.