Nrityagram

Nrityagram
Name	Nrityagram
Established	1990
Type	Residential dance village
Location	Near Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Founder	Protima Gauri
Disciplines	Odissi

Nrityagram Nrityagram is a residential dance village near Bengaluru in Karnataka, India, known for immersive training in Odissi and for its contribution to Indian classical dance. It has attracted collaborations with artists from India, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan, hosting interactions with institutions such as Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kerala Kalamandalam, Kalakshetra Foundation, Banaras Hindu University, and Rashtrapati Bhavan. The village has been the subject of coverage by media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC News, The Hindu, and The Times of India.

History

Founded in the early 1990s after a period of formation in New Delhi and Mumbai, the project emerged amid renewed interest in classical performing arts associated with festivals like the Khajuraho Dance Festival, Chidambaram Natyanjali, Chitrakoot Festival, and institutions such as Sangeet Research Academy and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The site selection near Hesaraghatta Lake followed consultations with architects influenced by Laurie Baker-style vernacular and sustainable planning movements seen in projects like Auroville and Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum. Early seasons featured performances linked with presenters including Zubin Mehta, M. S. Subbulakshmi, Rukmini Devi Arundale, and collaborations with choreographers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham legacy companies, and guest artists associated with NID (National Institute of Design) workshops. Institutional recognition included support from Ministry of Culture (India), interactions with Sangeet Natak Akademi awardees, and touring seasons across venues such as Prithvi Theatre, NCPA, and Kennedy Center.

Founders and Leadership

The village was initiated by dancer/director Protima Gauri alongside advisors from the Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and patrons linked to families from Bengaluru and Kolkata. Leadership over time has involved senior exponents of Odissi who trained with gurus from the Jagannath Temple tradition and alumni of institutions like Rabindranath Tagore-affiliated schools, Banaras Gharana influencers, and pedagogues connected to Soviet-era choreographic exchange programs. Governing boards have included members with ties to Sangeet Natak Akademi, Doordarshan cultural programming, and arts administrators who previously served at National School of Drama and Lalit Kala Akademi.

Campus and Facilities

The campus sits on reclaimed land close to rural villages and shares ecological concerns with projects at Nagarhole National Park and Bannerghatta National Park. Facilities comprise dance studios inspired by Chhatarpur Temple proportions, residential gurukula-style dormitories, a library with collections referencing works by G. N. Devy, Kapila Vatsyayan, O. P. Dwivedi, and archives of recordings from All India Radio and private collections of performers like Sonal Mansingh and Mallika Sarabhai. Performance spaces have hosted festivals curated in association with organizations such as Natya Chetana, Kalashram, Navnat, and touring companies from Japan Foundation, Goethe-Institut, and Alliance Française.

Training and Curriculum

Training follows rigorous routines derived from guru-shishya lineages tracing to temples of Puri and traditions taught by masters connected to schools such as Mayurbhanj Gharana and guru lineages linked to Kelucharan Mohapatra and contemporaries like Sharmila Biswas and Sonal Mansingh. The curriculum integrates tala and raga concepts drawn from Hindustani classical music, movement practices compared with methodologies used at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater training centers and research dialogues with scholars from SOAS University of London, University of California, Los Angeles, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Students have participated in exchange residencies with ensembles associated with Odissi Research Centre, Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kathak Kendra, and dance therapy projects partnered with NIMHANS.

Performances and Repertoire

Repertoire emphasizes traditional abhinaya and nritta items while commissioning new works from choreographers linked to Uday Shankar-inspired modernism, pieces influenced by texts of Rabindranath Tagore, reinterpretations of epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and collaborations with composers from Ravi Shankar’s circle and contemporary musicians associated with A. R. Rahman, Zakir Hussain, and Shankar Mahadevan. Performances have toured major stages like Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and national venues including Samskritika Sabha presentations, receiving critical attention in festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Avignon Festival.

Community Outreach and Impact

Outreach programs engage artisans from Karnataka and neighboring states, collaborating with craftspeople from Kutch, Sambalpuri weaving communities, and NGOs such as Seva Bharati and Sulabh International on social initiatives. Educational collaborations have been established with schools like Bangalore International School, universities including Bangalore University and Christ University, and public health partners linked to NIMHANS for arts-in-health workshops. Alumni have become teachers and directors at institutions such as Shri Pankaj Charan Odissi Centre, Odissi Research Centre, Kalashram, and international universities including SOAS, University of Michigan, and Columbia University, influencing festival circuits like Natya Tarangini and contributing to policy dialogues at Ministry of Culture (India) forums.

Category:Dance schools in India Category:Odissi