About
Sharmila Biswas is a leading Odissi dancer, choreographer and teacher, recognised for her contribution to renewing the form's content, technique and costume. A prominent disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, she grounds her choreography in research into the traditional performing and visual arts of Odisha.
Born in 1962 in Kolkata, Sharmila Biswas trained under Guru Muralidhar Majhi and then fully in Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, studying abhinaya under Kalanidhi Narayanan and anthropology at university. She founded the Odissi Vision and Movement Centre in 1994, attended the American Dance Festival's choreographers' workshop, toured widely, and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2012.
The artistry
Biswas's Odissi combines the classical foundation of the Kelucharan style with an anthropologist's curiosity, drawing on Odisha's temple, folk and ritual arts to enrich her productions. A noted choreographer and teacher, she has brought fresh content and structure to the form while honouring its roots.
[Atlas Perspective] Sharmila Biswas is a leading Odissi dancer, choreographer and researcher. For flagship festivals and heritage or academic programmes, she is a strong choice.
Sharmila Biswas has enriched Odissi by uniting classical mastery with research into Odisha's living traditions, renewing the form's content and technique while carrying forward the Kelucharan Mohapatra legacy.