Odissi, one of the eight classical dance forms of India, is the oldest performing dance form on the basis of archaeological evidences. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (stances) which involve stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures.z

On 5th February 2015, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka organized a dance recital by Padma Shri Ileana Citaristi which aimed to enrich the quality of formal education by increasing awareness about different aspects of Indian Heritage and inspiring young minds to imbibe the values imbedded in it. She is the recipient of various awards, like the 43rd National Film Awards for Best Choreography and in 2006 became the first dancer of foreign origin to be conferred the Padma Shri for her contribution to Odissi. Mrs. Ileana Citaristi is an ‘A’ grade artist of Doordarshan and was also conferred the title of ‘Leonide Massine’ for art of dance in 1992. She studied Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and started her own school of dance in 1994.

She began her performance with Mangalacharan, which marks the entrance of the dancer onto the stage. She beautifully explained all the stances and their essence. She then went on to explain the origin and history of Odissi and also its two characteristic stances- Tribhanga and Chauka. It was an honour for our University to have such a prestigious dancer perform and enlighten the students. She had the audience mesmerized and captivated throughout her performance. This gave the students an opportunity to understand and appreciate the Odissi dance form better by not only hearing about it but also seeing an eminent dancer perform.