An Ode to Odissi: An evening with India’s most ancient dance form

Devika Prasad 
Devika is a trained Indian classical dancer, trained in bharatnatyam (Arangetram completed in Mumbai, 2001), kuchipudi and kathak. After moving to Singapore for work, she found her calling with odissi when she started training with Chowk under Raka Maitra from 2013. She believes in the power of dance to connect, inspire and transform. She loves performing and has been part of the annual showcases of Chowk. She also was part of Kalaa Utsavam Dance Open Stage in 2021 in Esplanade where she, with her co-dancers, curated and executed a 15-min choreography amalgamating kathak and odissi.

Veena Bharwani
Veena has been dancing for over two decades as she began her journey at the tender age of six, learning bharatnatyam and completing her Salangai Pooja at age 12. When she moved to Singapore, she fell in love with odissi, a form that epitomizes grace due to its beautiful head and torso motions, complementing gestures and deft footwork. Her dance training has led her to perform in numerous yearly shows years since her teens. In August 2000, she was part of a team that performed odissi at the esteemed Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. In 2016, she started training under Raka Maitra and performs in annual Chowk shows, training consistently to improve her form and footwork. In 2022, she was invited to be the solo odissi dancer in the Singapore Sindhi Association’s Janmasthmi celebrations and she then again in 2023. One who passionately believes that each artform needs the right audience, Veena works tirelessly to find new audiences for the appreciation of India’s most ancient classical dance. 

Reena Patel
Reena began her odissi journey with Chowk under Raka Maitra in 2015. She started out as someone who was fearful of standing in front of a crowd and believes that dancing helped her build self-confidence. Reena approaches dance like a mathematician approaches math; she likes to understand the symmetrical patterns and endeavours to be precise in her gestures and movements. She’s proud of the accomplishments and the hard work she has put into dance. She performs at the Annual Chowk Shows and continues to set new goals to improve her form and further her dance training.