About

Dynamism, Charisma and Outstanding talents makes guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty one of the finest Odissi Dancer in the field of Odissi Dance. Her perception of dance and choreography is unconventional. Yet she has been vehemently careful about basic structure and aesthetic of her beloved art form ‘Odissi’. She is currently the Secretary of the Orissa (Odisha) Dance Academy.She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Padmashree award. Smt. Aruna Mohanty started her training in Odissi under Shrinath Rout and Gobinda Pal. In 1972 she started training under Gangadhar Pradhan. She has also received guidance in the dance form from Pankaj Charan Das, Kelucharana Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi and SonalMansingh. Aruna Mohanty has nearly five decades of experience as a dancer and choreographer. She has conducted research on dance, focusing on topics such as the representation of the male dancer in classical sculpture and the evolution of Odissi in the post-Independence era. She has travelled all over the globe to present solo & group presentations in additions to workshops & lectures and demonstration. Smt. Mohanty has received numerous awards in between those five decades of devoting herself towards Odissi. State Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Central Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial National Award, Mahari Award, Guru Pankaj Charan Research Foundation, Bharat Bhavan Award, conferred on the recipient by the President of India Jagannath Sanskruti Bikash Parishad Award.