BEGINNER LEVEL ODISSI DANCE (Classical Indian Dance):

This form of classical dance is highly technical, stylized and has a beautiful “curvy”, lyrical and feminine expression, that is accompanied by complex foot work.  It inspired by the original temple dancers that worshipped in the ancient temples, in the Eastern Indian state of Odisha.  

Classes are designed to:  Support a new dancer to learn the basic steps and postures that make up the vocabulary of Odissi dance (called “Stepping”). We will hone-in on techniques and repetition as we journey into the discovery of these classical movements.  This style of dance relies on practicing and polishing.  

Classes consist of:
~Warm up exercises, bringing strength and stamina to the body
~Breaking down the Stepping
~Understanding rhythm in Dance
~Learning mudra’s, head and neck movements that accompany the dance

Meenakshi met Colleena Shakti in 2015, and has studied Odissi Classical Indian Dance with her in Pushkar India at the Shakti School of Dance for seasons 2016, 2017, and 2018,and has danced at the Pushkar Dance Festival as well. She has been blessed with some extraordinary teachers such as Vrindarani Sharma from Vrindavan, 3 years of online study with Jagyandatta Pradhan from Rudrakshya Foundation, as well as Revital Carroll.

In 2017, in Toronto, Canada, she met her guru’s Chitralekha Patnaik (GuruMa) and Ellora Patnaik (GuruDi) of the Chitralekha Dance academy (www.seeodissi.com), and fell in love with them and their generous teachings. Chitralekha was a student of the late Padmashri Pankaj Charan Das, Padmabibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Sri Debaprasad Das, Guru Sri Mahadev Rout and Guru Sri Battakrushna Sena. Under the guidance and tutelage of the brilliant Guru Sri Devraj Patnaik,(GuruJi) she has performed his brilliant Choreography of “Surya Vandana” in October and November of 2018 in Toronto, Canada, as well as performing a solo in the 5th Purva International Classical Dance Festival in Gurjarat, India January 2019.

She opened a show at the Buddies and Bad Times Theatre April 27th, 2019 performing Odissi with a standing ovation. A huge honour to offer her Odissi dance oblations as well to the Festival of India (Ratha Yatra) in Toronto in July 2019, and as well as to perform "Sthayee Nrutya" at the "Journey to Sacred India" show in Toronto in October 2019.

In 2020, she performed in the Padaboli Nritya Utsab 2020 Online International Indian Classical Dance Festival, organized by the Nandanik Manush Centre of Performing Arts.

She recently performed in Lisbon, Portugal in October 2022 in the “Dance of Shakti” with Revital Carroll, Ganga Seth and other esteemed dancers for the Jiya Festival.

Her heart skips a beat at the opportunities that lie ahead for this sacred puja offering of devotion, and ultimate union with God. Jai Jagannath!

“I asked Meenakshi to teach me some basic Odissi dance practice fundamentals, and Im so glad that I did! She had a great way of breaking things down, and explained things so well…! It was really great to repeat things over and over as I felt very clumsy at first. Thank you Meenakshi for these classes! Especially during lockdown it was a total saviour!”-

~Gretta H. (Private student)

“I saw Meenakshi dance online and also on her social media pages and was so inspired! I felt that she, as a yogini, could offer me some guidance on creating a sacred dance to the goddess Lakshmi, for abundance. HereTemple dance instruction and short choreography for a beginner dancer was so perfect and beautiful to learn. I try and do this dance once a week in front of my altar.”

~Danielle S. (Private student)