Aadya Kaktikar

Aadya is a well-known Odissi soloist in the Department of Art and Performing Arts at Shiv Nadar University in India.

Aadya Kaktikar holds an associate professorship. Performing for almost two decades, her book Odissi Yaatra, which documents the art form's revival owing to Guru Mayadhar Raut's efforts, was launched by her.

She has an MA in Teaching (Dance) from the Royal Academy of Dance, University of Surrey, which led her to the Department of Dance at Texas Woman's University, where she is currently completing her PhD. The study derives from the nexus of education, performance, dance history, and sociology, and it centers on teaching classic dance forms in contemporary contexts. Aadya's areas of competence include curriculum planning and assessment development for the performing arts.

Work Experience

Aadya is a dance instructor and an Odissi dancer. She is an ICCR-endorsed dance performer and has given numerous well-received performances over the past 20 years. She is presently interested in the pedagogy of teaching dance, and the focus of her work is on investigating traditional dance training approaches in the context of modern education. Planning curricula and developing assessments for the performing arts are two of Aadya's specialties.

Short Biography

After completing two decades of intense training at "The Mayadhar Raut School of Odissi Dance" in New Delhi under the capable guidance of Guru Mayadhar Raut and Madhumita Raut, Aadya Kaktikar, a disciple of Madhumita Raut, is emerging as the new face of this age-old dance tradition. Since 1992, she has given numerous solo performances, participated in a number of festivals, and led the roles in all of Guruji's works for the previous ten years. Under the guidance of her mentor, Madhumita Raut, she has portrayed prominent roles in plays, including Ritu Basant, Konark, and The Geet Govind. Based in New Delhi, Aadya is presently involved in bringing back the customary Odissi dance pieces and attempting to broaden the genre's appeal by experimenting with contemporary literature.

About Odissi Dance

Odissi is a traditional Indian dance style that has its roots in the state of Odisha. It's a lyrical and sensual dancing style. It touches on both the divine and human sides of existence and is regarded as a dance of love. It also discusses both the commonplace and the nuances of life.

The origins of Odissi can be found in a dance form known as the Odhra Magadha. This is one of the numerous dance forms described in the Natya Shastra and is considered to be the classical dancing style from the Southeast.

The caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, which are close to Bhubaneswar, contain archaeological evidence of Odissi dating back to the second century. From the second to the tenth century AD, Buddhist sculptures, Nataraja, tantric figures, celestial dancers, and musicians in ancient Shaivite temples provide proof of the ongoing legacy of this dance genre. The highly stylized Indian dance known as Odissi is somewhat dependent on the Abhinaya Darpana and the Natya Shastra.

Odissi almost entirely follows the precepts of the Natya Shastra. Body language, hand gestures, and outward appearances are employed to suggest a certain emotion or one of the nine rasas.

The two fundamental positions of the Chowk and the Tribhanga serve as the focal points for the development procedures. The Chowk is a square-like posture that is incredibly macho with proportionately regulated body weight. The tribhanga is a very feminine pose in which the knees, middle, and neck of the body are bent outward.

Music & Instruments

This dance form is distinctive in that it uses ragas from both the north and the south of India, which represents the interchange of ideas and performing arts between the two regions of the country. These are the principal ragas of Odissi: "Shokabaradi," "Karnata," "Bhairavee," "Dhanashri," "Panchama," "Shree Gowda," "Nata," "Baradi," and "Kalyana." Tabla, pakhawaj, harmonium, cymbals, violin, flute, sitar, and Swarmandal are among the musical instruments.

Kelucharan Mohapatra, Raghunath Dutta, Deba Prasad Das, Pankaj Charan Das, and Gangadhar Pradhan are among the distinguished Odissi artists who brought back the art form in the late 1940s. The dance genre achieved classical rank because of the significant contribution of Guru Mayadhar Raut. Notable exponents include Aruna Mohanty, Anita Babu, and Aadya Kaktikar, among others; followers of Kelucharan Mohapatra include Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, and Kumkum Mohanty.

Conclusion

The path of Aadya Kaktikar is proof of her tenacity, commitment, and enthusiasm. Her remarkable abilities, along with her steadfast dedication to her goals, have driven her to success. More incredible accomplishments from Aadya are certain to come as she forges ahead on her journey. Her experience should serve as motivation to everyone, showing that anyone can overcome any challenge and achieve their greatest potential with perseverance and hard effort.