The Nrityashilp Dance Foundation
The Nrityashilp Dance Foundation was founded to propagate the unique Odissi style created by Guru Surendra Nath Jena. A dance institute under the guidance of his eldest daughter, Pratibha Jena Singh, the aim of Nrityashilp is twofold: to reach out to wider audiences with performances, workshops and lecture-demonstrations in this style, and to impart thorough and holistic training to students in this style.
Guru Surendra Nath Jena’s style is
a unique, dynamic style, inspired by the temple sculptures of Orissa. From the similarities between images seen
in Orissa’s rural culture in everyday life and Orissa’s various arts: Jatra
Theatre, ‘patachitra’ scrolls, ‘talapatra’ paintings, Oriya texts and the
exquisite temple sculptures of the Lingaraj, Jagannath Puri, Konark and
Chaunsath (64) Yogini temple. - His is a style that brings temple sculpture
to life.
The Late Guru Surendra Nath Jena
Throughout his lifelong journey, life and dance became intricately interwoven for Guru Surendra Nath Jena. He saw them not as two distinct identities, but instead, mirroring each other in a myriad of ways. So inextricable were these for him, that life itself was like the dance of creation, and dance - the carrier of the essence of life.
