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All-male dancers’ troupe set to storm US cities

BHUBANESWAR: Breaking the bastion of female Odissi dancers, an all-male dancers’ troupe from Orissa is set to storm the stage at the famous Lincoln Centre in US soon. The enviable distinction has come to the city-based Rudrakshya dance institution of young but versatile Odissi guru Bichitrananda Swain.

A distinguished disciple of legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra, Bichitrananda is known for his pioneering choreographic compositions for male dancers besides grooming a number of talented male dancers who have been touring the world as teachers and performers.

"A man must not dance like a woman and vice versa as the physical features in men and women are distinctly different. This realisation prompted me to develop a dance vocabulary for male dancers – ‘purush ang’," explained the guru whose nine-member troupe including four girls is leaving for US on a four-month tour later this week being sponsored by the India Association of Nebraska and Indian Performing Arts Promotions, both led by non-resident Oriyas. The dancers include Yudhisthir Nayak, Pabitra Kumar Pradhan, Lingaraj Pradhan, Amulya Balbantray, Gouri Shankar Dash, Mamata Das, Sanjukta Dutta, Arupa Gayatri Panda and Moushumi Madhuchhanda. Ramahari Das who heads Odissi Research Centre here has scored music for the dance numbers.

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