Bhubaneswar: For the first time, Odisha Society of the Americas (NYNJPA) presented Odissi dance at Carnegie Hall Dance Festival in New York on Sunday.“It was a celebration of our identity, our tradition, and our artistry on a world-class platform,” said Nilasundar Jena, president of the chapter. The Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious concert venues like the Royal Albert Hall or Sydney Opera House. Altogether 28 Odissi dancers, aged 10 to 49 years, performed ‘Odisha Parikrama’ that celebrated Odisha’s spirit through dance. They are all Odias based in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut but are tutored by different Odissi gurus in Odisha.The routine was directed and choreographed by Rashmi Rajaguru under the guidance of Odissi gurus Gayatri Ranbir, Amulya Balavantaray Ray and Subash Chandra Swain. “I trained them in different routines for over 4 months online,” said Ranbir.All the costumes and jewellery were tailor-made in Odisha and sent to US. The rehearsals started from Nov 2025 in rented studios. “All dancers and their families believe in preserving the culture and are committed to taking it forward to the upcoming generation,” said Rashmi.
