Manroanjan Pradhan & Minati Dasgupta

Odissi Dance
Sri Manoranjan Pradhan and Smt. Minati Dasgupta
A rare night of sacred temple dance from Orissa, India

with Asako Takami and Chaitee Sengupta

November 22, 2003 8pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society
1187 Franklin St. @ Geary (map)
San Francisco, CA

$12 advance / $15 door / $25 sponsor / $7 kids (12 and under)
info@pallavidance.org

Manoranjan Pradhan and Minati Dasgupta are a husband and wife dance team from Orissa, India. This is a unique opportunity to see this talented and inspiring couple perform in the Bay Area. This is their first appearance together in the Bay Area.

Manoranjan Pradhan, one of the leading male Odissi dancers of today, trained at the Orissa Dance Academy in India with Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and completed his Master's degree in Odissi dance at Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, through Utkal University, studying with the famous Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Mr. Pradhan has performed worldwide, has received many awards and is frequently invited to teach and perform in the U.S. by such organizations as the Center for World Music in San Diego, the Orissa Society of America, and the Indo American Society. In 2000, Mr. Pradhan toured the U.S.A. With Ralph Lemmon's "Tree, Part 2 of the Geography Trilogy", collaborating with Mr. Lemmon and a company of international dancers and musicians from the Ivory Coast, Japan, Taiwan, China and the U.S.A. Currently, Mr. Pradhan is involved in research and innovative works in the development of Odissi dance and its creative aspects.

Minati Dasgupta is a promising and talented Odissi dancer of the present generation. She was initiated into Odissi dance by Guru Shri Raghunath Dutta. Later she began training from Guru Laxmidhar Jena, Padmabibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Smt.Kumkum Mohanty and from Manoranjan Pradhan. Her artistry has also been nurtured by Guru Gangadhar Pradhan. She has received further training at the Odissi Research Center under direct supervision of Smt. Kumkum Mohanty, the Chief Executive of the center. As a performing artist Ms. Dasgupta distinguishes herself by exhibiting remarkable technical perfection, liveliness, and incredible grace. She has performed widely in India and abroad including Indonesia, Thailand and the US. She has earned the distinction of being an 'A' grade artist by the of Government of Orissa. She currently holds a teaching appointment at the Odissi Research Center and is regularly dispatched to different cities to conduct Odissi classes. She resides in Bhubaneswar, India with her husband Manoranjan Pradhan, who is also a noted Odissi dancer and teacher.

Mr. Pradhan and Ms. Dasgupta are concluding a tour of the US. They recently performed at the 2nd International Odissi Festival held in Washington DC in September.