User:Merleobrien/sandbox

Odissi Niketan Africa was founded in 2012 by Merle O'Brien, an Odissi danseuse, futurist and creativity expert to create a home for Odissi dance and music in Africa. Its vision is to inspire creativity through the mastery of Odissi.

Odissi is recognised as probably the oldest of India's eight classical dance traditions. It has its roots in the eastern state of Odisha where its 2000 year old history can be traced by archeo-choreology to caves, temples and palm-leaf manuscripts. It has its earliest literary reference in the Indian treatise on the science of dance and dram, the Natyashastra (200 B.C) where it as recorded as the dance art of the Odra region, Odra-mogadhi. Today, this ancient creative code continues to govern all forms of the creative, performing and fine arts in India.

Links - Natyashastra, Odissi, Konark temple, Gurus, Yogini Gandhi, University of Cape Town, Chauka, Tribhanghi, Bhubaneshwar,