Barbara Mintz - Odissi

Title: Barbara Mintz - Odissi Category: Indian Dancers / Odissi Dancers / North America / United States / California Clicks: 2 Listing has been added: May 31, 2012

I have danced from an early age, studying Western classical dance forms (ballet and modern). My studies took me to New York where I attended Adelphi University, The Julliard School and Empire State College (SUNY) where I completed my B.S. in Dance Therapy. I also studied improvisation, African dance, yoga, Sacred belly dance, martial arts (Pencak Silat), Balinese dance and Indian dance. I was drawn to Bali as it was a place where worship through dance was still being performed in the temples. I also knew it to be a place where art, religion, community and life were an integrated whole. Living there for the most part since 1985, I have studied Balinese culture and dance and have taught and performed internationally. In Bali, I also developed a Holistic dance technique, now called Shakti Dance, which combines and integrates all my studies, to encourage and support awareness, healing, and joy of movement. After witnessing the divine beauty and transforming power of Odissi dance in the U.S. and Bali, I was compelled to travel to India. There I lived and studied in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, studying at the Orissa Dance Academy with Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Yudistir Nayak and members of the Orissa Dance Academy. I am now a student of Sri Manoranjan Pradhan, a leading dancer and teacher from Orissa. Since 1998 I have been studying and dancing Argentine Tango. It is the first dance I have ever done with a partner and I find it to be a meditation for two becoming one. Now there is no turning back!