Best Art and Culture in Delhi 2021

Smt. Anita Babu is a famous Odissi dancer based in New Delhi with over 3 decades of dancing and more than 15 years of teaching and choreographing Odissi at her school Odissi Natya Sala in New Delhi. She has learnt Odissi from the famous doyen of Odissi Padmashree Late Gangadhar Pradhan. She is a regular performer at various premier and prestigious festivals across the country as well as outside India. Some of her notable recent performances have been at the FREEDOM@70 celebration of Govt. of India in Africa, International Yoga festival 2015 & 2017, Rishikesh International Film Festival 2017, International Odissi festival 2014, Rukmini Devi Arundale dance festival in March 2014 in Kolkata, IITF 2013, the Shrishti Dance festival in Bangalore in May 2013, Karur Natyanjali in December 2012, Indian classical dance festival at the national dance festival of Kala Academy, Goa in March 2012, St. Louis, USA in April 2012, Bali Spirit Festival 2011, CWG 2010 and many more. Her disciples have also performed at the Guniess Book of World Record performance of 500 Odissi dancers in December 2012 in Bhubaneswar. Anita Babu is also an empanelled artist of ICCR and had toured US of A for 3 months in 2003 under the aegis of ICCR. Both Anita and her students have won accolades wherever they have performed across the length and breadth of India and overseas as well. Anita is a recipient of the REX KARMAVEER GLOBAL FELLOWSHIP (Bronze Chakra in 2015 and Silver Chakra in 2016), the WOMEN LEADERSHIP ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARTS & CULTURE from the World Women Leadership Congress in 2016 and the FEMINA WOMEN SUPER ACHIEVERS AWARD in 2017. 

In her constant endeavour to make classical dance popular among the youth, she has been creating new productions with themes which today’s generation can relate to Water Conservation (Nadi Narayani), Harnessing of Solar Power (Surya Trishna) and Human Trafficking (Agnikanya) and many more which have been widely appreciated by critics, connoisseurs and novices. The latest project she is working on the taboo around women menstruation. It is her sheer passion for Odissi and her desire to contribute to the society at large which gives her the motivation to choose such topics which highlight issues and concerns of today’s society.

Currently apart from performing and teaching regularly, she is working on a plan to take classical dance to unconventional platforms closer to the masses.

Work Profile Not Updated

https://www.facebook.com/anitababuodissi

anita_babu1@yahoo.co.in

https://www.youtube.com/user/masit1/videos

Mobile: 9810048119

 AWARDS

1. REX Karamveer Global Fellow (RKGF) - Bronze 2015,

2. REX Karamveer Global Fellow (RKGF) - Silver Chakra 2016

3. Women Leadership Achievement Award - 2016

4. FEMINA Women Super Achievers Award - 2017

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING/EXPERIENCE

1. Disciple of Padmashree Late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan since 1980;

2. Alumni of Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar (founded by Guru Gangadhar Pradhan);

3. Also guided regularly by senior disciples of Guruji like Nandita Patnaik, Aruna Mohanty and Bichitrananda Swain;

4. Attended various workshops of Odissi doyens like Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Smt. Kumkum Mohanty;

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1. Founded Odissi Natya Sala in New Delhi and 1999 (registered in 2004 under the societies regn Act; Regn No. S/51235/2004 dated 30th December 2004)

2. Odissi Natya Sala has over 60 students;

3. Conducted summer workshops in various schools from time to time and also twice for Sahitya Kala Academy for contemporary dance;

4. Assisted my Guru Gangadhar Pradhan at various lec-dems for SPIC-MACAY;

5. Conducted lec-dems and workshops for IRCEN;

6. Conducted workshop/classes in Bali, Indonesia for 6 weeks in 2011;

7. Choreographed a dance drama for Vivekananda College in 2001; 

Festivals organized by Anita Babu (in reverse order)

1. Nritya Milan (the 3rd edition) – a 2 day festival of group choreographies.

2. Nritya Milan (the 2nd edition) – “continuing the Guru-shishya parampara”. A 2 day Indian classical dance festival of duets and group performances by the new generation

Guru-shishya combines on 29th & 30th May 2014, at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

3. Nritiya Milan – November 2012. This was a 2 day classical dance festival of young dancers in which all Indian classical dance forms (except Kathakali) was showcased.

4. Purusha Suktam – May 2010. A 2 day festival of Odissi dance with emphasis on the male dancers.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

• Doordarshan artiste since 1991.

• Empanelled in ICCR’s Reference Panel of Artistes since 1994

• Empanelled by Ministry of Culture, Government of India for Festivals of India abroad

• ODISSI NATYA SALA is empanelled in ICCR as an institute for learning Odissi for foreign students

• Empanelled as a consultant for ODISSI dance in Times of India (under the program Newspaper in Education) for conducting workshops in various schools.

• Conducted various workshops for a workshop on Odissi dance along with Gurushree Gangadhar Pradhan for SPIC-MACAY.

• Established an Odissi dance school in New Delhi in 1997 by the name ‘ODISSI NATYA SALA’ with over 50 students.

• Organised a Festival of Orissa at NOIDA in September 2000 showcasing Oriya music, dance and cuisine.

• Empanelled with "India International Rural Cultural Centre (IRCEN)" for lecture/demonstrations at various schools, colleges, etc. for increasing awareness for Indian culture.

• Anita Babu has also been a judge at numerous dance and cultural festivals and has also been one of the judges at Junior Scholarship selection by Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous body under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India

• Odissi Natya Sala currently receives salary grant and cultural function grants from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India