About

 

Nabanita Pal, also known as Neeta, is an Indian classical dancer of the Odissi style based in Washington, DC. As a South Asian American practitioner of this art form, Neeta is interested in exploring how the technical and expressional nuances of the Odissi vocabulary can resonate across borders and diverse audiences. 

Neeta began her training with Guru Dr. Chitra Krishnamurti in Maryland. She sought intensive training in Odissi as a Fulbright Scholar in Bhubaneswar, India with the Artistic Director of the Orissa Dance Academy, Padmashree Guru Aruna Mohanty, and her repertory members, with whom Neeta continues to train. Neeta is dedicated to honing her craft by taking workshops with master artists. Neeta is a graduate of Brown University and UC Berkeley School of Law. 

Neeta has performed in both India and the U.S. at venues such as: 

  • Painted Bride Art Center (Philadelphia, PA) with Michigan-based ensemble Akshara
  • Riverside Arts Center (Ypsilanti, MI) with Michigan-based ensemble Akshara
  • The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) with the Orissa Dance Academy from Bhubaneswar, India
  • Dance Mission Theater (San Francisco, CA) with support from Sangam Arts and the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
  • Historic Hoover Theater (Santa Clara, CA)
  • The Asian American Writers' Workshop (New York, NY) with poet Shayok Misha Chowdhury
  • Brown University, sponsored by the Year of India Initiative

About Odissi

Odissi's movement vocabulary strikes a balance between lyrical torso and wrist movements, and grounded footwork that shifts body weight from centered to asymmetrical postures. Aside from it's rigorous technique, Odissi is also known for it's abhinaya. For Neeta, unpacking the expressive power of Odissi through abhinaya or theatrical expression is a process that requires constant practice and reflection. 

Odissi traces its roots to temple sculptures and rituals from the state of Odisha in eastern Indian. In the postcolonial era, Odissi was re-imagined and re-constructed by a group of dancers who drew from a variety of sources including architecture, poetry and dance practices such as the Mahari and Gotipua traditions which were respectively performed in temple and public spaces.