Odissi goes Global. At the Odissi International Festival

Odissi dance has global recognition for its graceful and artistic movements and high spiritual content. In fact, dancers across the globe have opted to learn and practice Odissi. But many of these dancers do not get a chance to showcase their talent in Odisha during festivals or cultural events. A special festival, the Odissi International, has thus been designed to provide a platform to these budding artistes to perform in Bhubaneswar.

Around 200 Odissi dancers from 18 countries present the dance in its solo, duet and group forms on stage at the Odissi International. Samskritiki, a two-decade-old cultural organization hosts the event in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The festival aims to unite the global Odissi family that is ever growing and provides a forum for interaction of Odissi dancers from all over the world.

The participating countries include Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, UK and USA among others.

Celebrated Odissi dancers like Aruna Mohanty, Sujata Mohapatra, Ileana Citaristi and Sangeeta Dash have featured in the festival in the past.

Odissi International Festival Dates	Last week of December every year
Duration	5 days
Timings	6 PM - 8.30 PM
Venue	Rabindra Mandap