Asako Takami (left) with her apprentice Chaitee Sengupta
Photo courtesy of Asako Takami
Originally performed in the Hindu temples of Orissa more than 2000 years ago, Odissi dance has experienced a renaissance in the last fifty years. Odissi is distinguished from other forms of Indian dance by its liquid upper body movement, strong footwork, and sculpturesque poses that evoke the carvings found in Orissan temples. When she saw her first Odissi dance performance in Tokyo more than twenty years ago, Asako Takami was inspired to learn this art form. She studied with several different instructors in India including Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the creator of the modern Odissi style. Currently, Takami teaches, performs, and choreographs, serving as the artistic director of Pallavi Dance Group in the Bay Area. Her apprentice, Chaitee Sengupta, has been studying Odissi for eight years. Sengupta performs with Takami and she has recently begun to teach other students. Takami and Sengupta will work on three songs from the Gita Govinda, a twelfth century poem by Jayadeva which depicts the love story between Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and his consort Radha.
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