Odissi guru leaves behind a rich legacy
One of the pillars of Odissi dance, this man set out to accomplish the best for the dance community making sure that Odissi was well received and known worldwide. Gangadhar Pradhan passed away on Monday after battling for life for six days. Having started his training of dance at the tender age of six, Gangadhar Pradhan was initiated into dance as a Gotipua dancer. He went on to complete Natya Acharya from the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. During this period he received training from Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Dr Minati Mishra and Guru Debaprasad Das after which he underwent an intensive training from the doyen of Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Apart from mastering the art of Odissi dance, he was a well-known and skilled pakhawaj player. He would often accompany the legendary Odissi danseuse Sanjukta Panigrahi on her shows.
Aruna Mohanty, well known Odissi dancer and one of the first private disciples of Pradhan says that he has been more than a mentor and teacher. “He has been a father like figure to me and I have trained under him for more than forty years. It was he who realised the talent in me and wanted me to realise and fulfil his vision. I don’t know if I have done that amount of justice. His method of teaching was always based on understanding a movement and nuances of dance. He was extremely passionate about Odissi and set up the Odissi Dance Academy,” she says. He helped them overcome their initial struggles and created a sense of belonging. “He taught us how to overcome ups and downs. After he realised the need for promotion for the dance style, he thought of creating a festival, giving a much needed platform to showcase talent,” reminisces Mohanty.
Lingraj Pradhan, one of the upcoming dancers and has been a student of Gangadhar Pradhan for more than 12 years says how guruji always focussed on being a good human being first and then dancing will follow with practice and dedication. “He was beyond the conventional form of a teacher and has advised me on being an all around dancer. His contribution to the field of dance has been a tremendous one,” says Lingraj.
Friends and well-wishers too remember Gangadhar as an extremely warm person to talk to. Shankar Behera, well-known Odissi dancer who has known Gangadhar Pradhan as a friend and a fellow dancer for more than four decades says that he was an extremely intelligent and talented dancer. “He would constantly bubble with ideas and creativity and worked with sole dedication to popularise Odissi dance,” says Behera. Ganga Sir, as he was fondly known, was instrumental in popularising Odissi abroad.
Jhelum Paranjape, an Odissi danseuse remembers him as a gentle and warm human being. “He had his own individual style and has really worked hard to make Odissi what it is today,” she says.
Post new comment