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Reflecting on the early years of my dance training in Cuttack brings many
memories of Raghu Sir. Attending classes in Kala Vikash Kendra (K.V.K.) with
Raghu Sir was a constant for almost a decade. However, added opportunities to
observe and interact with him came my way during various festivals and events. I
participated in the dance dramas he choreographed in K.V.K. and Annapurna
Theatre during Raja Utsav, Bhanja Utsav, Rabindra Jayanti and for
performances outside the State of Orissa.

Raghu Sir was a versatile choreographer. His stint in the Annapurna theatre as a
dancer in the beginning years of his career made him a multitalented
choreographer. His creativity and ingenuity came through in his choreography of
the various dance dramas.

One of my first experiences of performing on stage was in KVK after about 3
years of training in Odissi dance. While the senior students prepared to present
the traditional Odissi repertoire under the guidance of Guru Kelucharan
Mohapatra, a group of young learners participated in childrens production of
Circus choreographed by Raghu Sir. Similar to a circus, this dance drama
included a series of dances by young students enacting roles of animals, birds
and clowns with an introductory dance piece by the ringmaster and his wife
(photo given on below).

Raghu Sir creatively integrated the
various gaits and traits of animals into
dance sequences. As I reflect upon
that experience, what stands out in
my mind is Raghu Sirs ability to
visualize, capture and translate
animal movements and fuse them
seamlessly with elements from the
Odissi technique. The creative
sequence of movements he
introduced gave us a chance to
experiment with our bodies in an
unfamiliar mode that was outside of
the Odissi framework. His creative
method helped us in enhancing our
physical and cognitive abilities.

Moving ahead in our training, often
when the seniors needed extra time
to change costumes between dances
during performance segments, Raghu Sir prepared us to fill in the time with folk
presentations of Karama and Gadaba. Coordinating the spontaneous lilt and flow
of the folk dances in a group of dancers of different heights was a challenge.
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However with repeated performances at different occasions we soon learned the
art of maintaining the flow with well-coordinated movements.

Another important occasion was celebrating Rabindra Jayanti in Barsha Mangal
where we were exposed to the compositions of Tagore. Raghu Sir integrated
steps from the Manipuri dance style introducing us to yet another dance
technique. Adorned in beautiful red and white saris and with garlands of fragrant
flowers in our neck, hands and hair, we danced to songs from Bhanusingher
Padabali and other beautiful compositions of Rabindranath Tagore. One more
event I recall is when he was choreographing the dance sequence of the apsara
Menaka, for me in the dance drama Shakunatala. I clearly remember the steps of
the Kathak dance style, which were integrated in my dance sequence. Raghu Sir
was continuously exploring diverse forms of dance and working under his
guidance our young minds were like sponges absorbing new experiences in
music and dance.

Yet another experience was when we danced in the Oriya movies Adina Megha
and Kanaklata and a documentary on temples of Orissa for Government of India
Tourist Office. Outdoor and indoor shoots with innumerable takes was
exhausting and became an exercise in understanding what went into filmmaking.

Unconscious to fact that through all these experiences we were broadening our
knowledge base in dance and developing physical agility, problem solving skills,
time management, group coordination, cooperation and team spirit, the only
driving factor for continued participation was the attraction to spend more and
more time with friends. Odissi dance and Raghu Sir kept the group of dancers
connected and long hours of association during performances and travels
strengthened our bonds of friendship.

My training under Raghu Sir spanned through the years 1968 to 1976. During
these eight years, besides practical training in dance he also taught me the
theory and history of Odissi dance and provided tips on writing notes on dance.
Under his guidance I earned my graduate degree in Odissi dance from K.V.K.
Like a potter shapes, fires and glazes a clay pot, I was shaped and fired in Odissi
dance by Raghu Sir, and Ramani Sir and finally Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra
glazed me.

Years have rolled by, however fond memories of Raghu Sir and the essence of
his training remain. Author Edith Schaeffer wrote, The thing about real life is that
important events don't announce themselves... usually something that is going to
change your whole life is a memory before you can stop and be impressed about
it. My training and performances with Raghu Sir are those landmark events,
which contributed immensely to my development in the field of Odissi dance. I
received Government of Indias Scholarship for young researchers in the field of
dance to work under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and stepped into the next
phase of training.
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In the year 1979 after completing my Bachelors degree in Ravenshaw College, I
moved to Mumbai for work. Though I did not meet Raghu Sir again, I treasure
memories of the times I spent learning from him and I am grateful for his impact
on my life.

The photos shared in the following pages were taken during our various dance
tours and performances in different parts of India and are recollections of
moments I spent with Raghu Sir.
Odissi Dance Performance:
ndian Administrative Services,
Musoorie
Guru Raghunath Dutta & Rohini
Dandavate, Sikata Das, Nandita
Pattanaik, Sabita Sahu
Dance Drama: Shakuntala, An-
napurna Theatre, Raja Utsav
Sikata Das & Rohini Dandavate

Odissi Performance in Etawah
Sani Das, Sabita Sahu, Raghu
Sir, Rohini Dandavate, Abha
Nalini Kumar
K.V.K. Dance Group in Dehra-
dun, ndian Foreign Services
Guru Raghunath Dutta with Ro-
hini Dandavate, Nandita Patta-
naik, Sabita Sahu & Sikata Das
Dance Drama: Kanchi Abhijan
Preparing for performance in
Bhillai Steel Plant
Silver Jubilee Celebrations of K.V.K.
Raghu Sir, Sabita Sahu and Rohini Dandavate