New Professor Organizes Odissi Festival

Assistant Professor of Dance Kaustavi Sarkar recently organized a dance festival in honor of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (1926-2004), the man who revived and popularized the ancient Indian classical dance, Odissi. The festival, “Soul Vision,” was held in Calcutta, India, on January 2.

Prior to coming to the United States, Sarkar was a student and then a teacher at the Srjan dance studio in Odisha, East India, which was founded by Mohapatra. Read more about her education and research and the “Soul Vision” festival in this article in the Niner Times.

Sarkar also participated in the festival, performing a famous Odissi composition, “Ahe Neela Shailo.” Her performance and those of the other dancers received glowing reviews in the Indian press.

Sarkar has brought Odissi classes to the dance department curriculum and hopes to build a cultural exchange between her old home and her new. In May, she will host Odissi International, a conference featuring Odissi artists from all over the world, on the campus of UNC Charlotte.