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Directors
Niharika Mohanty (Executive Director)
Niharika Mohanty, the founder/director and principal teacher of Guru Shradha, is a leading Odissi dancer in the West and prominent disciple of legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, having trained with him for years, many months at a time. Niharika was raised in Canada, but she took to Odissi dance at the tender age of five, with her early training under Guru Murali Dhar Majii, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Smt. Ananda Radha, and for several years under Dr. Menaka Thakkar. Today, Niharika continues refining her dance under the two torch bearers of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's style – Guru Ratikant and Guru Sujata Mohapatra. Niharika also holds an MA in Dance and has received several grants and awards for training, performance, and choreography. Niharika has been honored in 2019 as a Mosaic Silicon Valley Fellow for commitment to artistic excellence and strengthening community through multicultural arts. As Odissi is a lesser known Indian classical dance style in North America, Niharika has been involved in Odissi’s exposure by organizing tours, programs, festivals and now continues that work in Guru Shradha and Odissi Alliance of North America (OANA). She was the Chair of OANA from 2022 - 2024, and remains on the Board.
Sujata Mohapatra (Artistic Director)
Guru Sujata Mohapatra, the artistic director of Guru Shradha, is a distinguished exponent of Odissi Dance and has made a mark for herself among the present generation winning whole-hearted applause from audiences and critics alike. She made her foray into the dancing arena in her early childhood when her interest in dance was nurtured from an early age by her parents. As the disciple and daughter-in-law of the late guru Padmavibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, the legendary exponent of Odissi, she inherited his devotion and passion for the classical dance form. Her dance is noteworthy for her strict adherence to her guru's style and vision and for her lyrical movements, which perfectly epitomize the grace and technical perfection of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra gharana. Widely traveled over the world as a soloist, she has also been a leading dancer in most of her guru's great choreographies. Apart from being an excellent performer, Sujata Mohapatra is also actively involved in teaching Odissi and conducts workshops in various places throughout India and internationally.
Ratikant Mohapatra (Chief Advisor)
Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, the chief advisor of Guru Shradha and Director of Srjan, has been surrounded by Odissi dance and music. Born to Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra “Guruji” and Smt. Laxmipriya Mohapatra, he has drawn on the vast reservoir of artistic talent of his parents and channelled his natural talents and inclination towards dance and music at an early age. Today, Ratikant Mohapatra has carved an enviable niche for himself as an exceptional dancer, percussionist, teacher, choreographer, and archivist. At present, in addition to his able direction and administration of Srjan, he is Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies (FACIS) at Sri Sri University (SSU), Cuttack, imparting scholarly and practical knowledge of Odissi dance in the Department of Performing Arts, which encompasses a wide variety of artistic techniques and styles. Over the decades, Guru Ratikant Mohapatra has traveled widely and exposed himself to multicultural and cross-border forms of dance and music to bridge the gap between Odissi and the rest of the world. In all spheres of activity related to dance and music, his uncompromising attention to detail, demand for perfection, and high levels of professionalism have established him as a leading force in the art form today as he ably and effortlessly carries forward the timeless legacy of his father and Guru.
Board of Directors :
Niharika Mohanty (Executive Director),
Anjana Mohanty (Treasurer),
Maya Devalcheruvu (Secretary),
Ritu Bhatnagar,
Kanika Mitra Bhattacharya,
Subarna Bhattacharya,
Anushmita Dash,
Namrata Mohanty,
Shravani Mukherjee,
Smitanjali Indira Priyadarshini,
Ragini Vecham
