NCPA Masterclass by Guru Sharmila Biswas -STHITI

Sharmila Biswas is one of India’s leading Odissi dancers, choreographers, teachers and researchers, with over three decades of pioneering work in Indian classical dance. A disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra, she is widely recognised for expanding the artistic vocabulary of Odissi through innovative explorations of its content, technique and costume aesthetics, while drawing deeply from the traditional performing and visual arts of Odisha. She is the founder and director of the Odissi Vision & Movement Centre (OVM), a premier institution known for its interdisciplinary pedagogy, and the Creative Director of Nanritam, which promotes arts education among rural children in Purulia, West Bengal. She conducts workshops across India and the US. An accomplished author, her publications include Knowing Odissi and the biographical volume Offstage with Sharmila Biswas. Her numerous honours include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2012), Uday Shankar Award, Mahari Award and fellowships from the Ministry of Culture and the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Sthiti is an integral part of Sharmila Biswas’s special curriculum for dancers—a practice that explores the deep and essential relationship between the dancer, the body, and the art form. Inspired by Bandhya Nrutya of Odisha’s Gotipua tradition, where yoga and pure dance come together in a powerful physical and artistic union, Sthiti is designed to develop the dancer’s flexibility, balance, stamina, strength, and precision. Through a sustained engagement with the body, it refines postures and movements while creating greater physical awareness and control. The practice also supports injury prevention by preparing the body for the demands of Odissi dance. Sthiti is structured in five sections, each focusing on a particular aspect of Odissi movement vocabulary: Sama — establishing alignment, balance, and stillness. Chauka — exploring the grounded and symmetrical stance central to Odissi. Tribhangi — working with the characteristic three-bend posture and its range of movement. Complexities of the Upper Body — developing the articulation, coordination, and mobility of the torso, shoulders, neck, and arms. Male Movements — exploring the distinct physicality, energy, and movement vocabulary associated with the male form in Odissi. Each section follows a carefully conceived progression: dance-yoga, followed by sloka with bhangis and padabhedas, then pure dance, and finally Pahapata—fast-paced movement that brings together energy, rhythm, coordination, and stamina. The musical and rhythmic composition of Sthiti draws from the traditional Gotipua style. The music is vibrant, joyous, and energetic, creating an atmosphere in which physical training becomes inseparable from the pleasure and spirit of dance. Sthiti: Tribhangi For the NCPA workshop, the focus will be on the Tribhangi section of Sthiti. Tribhangi is conceived as a complete dance in itself, while simultaneously functioning as a concentrated exploration of some of the most essential movements and principles of Odissi dance. The workshop will take participants through the physical and rhythmic vocabulary of Tribhangi, exploring the relationship between balance, flexibility, posture, torso movement, and flow. Through the Sthiti methodology, these elements are approached not merely as technical positions but as an integrated physical experience—where the dancer learns to understand, inhabit, and transform the body through movement. In this sense, Sthiti is both a practice and a way of entering the body of Odissi: strengthening the dancer physically while deepening their awareness of the form, its vocabulary, and its inherent musicality. In this composition Sharmila Biswas has been guided by Smita Dutta in Hathayoga. Music Composition is by Sukanta Kumar Kundu. Rhythm Composition is by Bijaya Kumar Barik. Registration fees – Rs. 2,000/- Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm IST Hall: Godrej Dance Theatre Age: 6+