The Odissi that we see today is largely inspired by the Gotipua (meaning ‘one boy’) dancers. Gotipua is a living tradition indigenous to the Puri district of the Indian state of Orissa whereby pre-puberty boys are trained in Odissi dance since childhood and they perform dressed in traditional female attire. When the Mahari (temple dancers) tradition has almost died completely, these boy dancers kept the Odissi dance alive.

The present day reconstructed Odissi is largely derived from the Gotipua tradition where a lot of the repertoire and idioms come from. In fact, many Odissi gurus who brought about the revival of Odissi in the mid-fifties are either Gotipua dancers themselves or are closely associated with this tradition. It is an important point of embarkation from which Odissi can later on be inspired by sculpture and music, and in addition to re-looking at treatises of dance and enduring new movements, expand its vocabulary and repertoire.

However, what’s interesting about the Gotipuas is that compared to the more refined and sophisticated form of Odissi, theirs still retain a sense of rawness, which can be refreshing to watch. The Gotipua’s interpretation of the Odissi is not confined to the veneer of sophistication and artifice associated with the contemporary stage.

Suited to their young and supple bodies, the Gotipuas are also known for their bandha nrutyas, which is a series of acrobatic poses, much like yoga, incorporated into their repertoire. This aspect of Odissi is seldom explored in the contemporary form. This is THE performance to watch at the Stirring Odissi festival if you are interested to study the evolution of Odissi as dance. Gotipua dancers are performing as part of the Stirring Odissi festival.