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 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 continues with Padma Sri Guru Madhavi Mudgal. She initially trained extensively for over a decade with her guru in Delhi 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 is working in collaboration with her to formalise the Odissi Syllabus in line with the ISTD program. More recently she has been actively involved with the Odissi Ensemble an Odissi dance performing group that is touring with live music all over the UK.
With over 45 years experience and active involvement with Odissi as a student, performer and teacher, dance is a joyful journey of self discovery for her. She is deeply touched by the power of Odissi in helping express and manifest anyone’s complete potential.
“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.