Today we’d like to introduce you to Supradipta Datta.
Supradipta Datta
Hi Supradipta, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Thank you for the invitation. I appreciate the opportunity!
My dance journey started very early. Apparently, my mother noticed that I walked “like a dancer”, always in rhythm, and not like most of the other children. Being an ardent connoisseur of the Indian classical arts, she enrolled me in Bharatnatyam (a classical dance style from southern India) classes when I was only 3. I went on to earn my diploma (the prestigious Sangeet Kriya Visharad), with distinction, in that dance form by the time I was 13.
Just as I finished my course in Bharatnatyam, a newly recognized classical dance form, Odissi, was gaining popularity in the east Indian state where I lived. So, I decided to give that a try. Luckily my current Guru/teacher, one of the stalwarts in the world of Odissi, Guru Smt. Aloka Kanungo, had just moved to my city, and I seized the opportunity to be one of her very first students. From the very first day, I fell in love with the style. I would continue to train and perform, both the dance styles of Bharatnatyam and Odissi in India, for the next decade. Under Guru Kanungo’s guidance, I completed the Sangeet Kriya Visharad diploma, with distinction, in Odissi as well and had the opportunity to perform at some of the most prestigious dance festivals of the country, like the Khajuraho Dance Festival, The Konark Dance Festival, and the Puri Beach Festival, to name a few. I also did several workshops with stalwarts of Odissi to hone my skills further. Though I worked extremely hard on my dancing, I never thought of pursuing a career as a classical dancer. During those same years, I was continuing my formal education and earned a master’s degree in Accounting.
In 1997, I immigrated to Houston with my husband. I enrolled in the Bauer College of Business from where I earned a MBA Degree in Finance. Simultaneously, I continued to perform across the USA as a solo Odissi dancer. It was a wonderful experience to be able to perform with several Odissi legends at the First International Odissi Conference at Washington, DC. My performance was very well received, and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (one of the three architects of modern Odissi) came backstage and congratulated me. That was the beginning of me thinking about dance as a career. While still in school, whenever I performed in the Indian communities, parents would approach me to teach their daughters Odissi. In 2003, I finally decided to be a full-time classical dancer and educator, choosing dance over a corporate career. Though before that, I had trained a few students, it was in 2003 that I started my institution, Kalaangan School of Odissi. Coincidentally, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra was on tour in this country at that time and agreed to inaugurate my Odissi school formally.
I had a very humble beginning with 2 students only. I used to travel to students’ residences to give one-on-one lessons as the apartment I lived in had no room to conduct classes. Then the number of students increased gradually. When we purchased a home, I transformed the garage into a studio and started holding classes there. From then onwards, I have worked my way to teaching at three locations today: in Sugar Land, Pearland, and West Houston. I also conduct online classes and workshops for students from other parts of the country. We, my students and I, have performed all around this country, England, and in India as well, in many prestigious venues and festivals. I have had more than 35 students present their Ranga Pravesh (the debut performance as a soloist) under my guidance. I also run a non-profit, ONNOI, that strives to provide a platform to young classical artists and to bring different cultures together. I collaborate with other Odissi as well as classical dancers from different genres on productions. My goal is to educate the general audience from all cultures about this beautiful dance style of Odissi and to ensure that the art form has continuity in this country in its purest form.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a mixed bag of good fortune and obstacles. I have been extremely fortunate in getting opportunities to learn from the biggest names in Odissi. Hence, my training has been very thorough and rigorous. But there have been some twists and turns along the way. When I was considered a rising star in India, I moved to the US. Once in this country, it was an uphill task to introduce Odissi here as I was the only Odissi dancer in Houston and the Indian communities, in those days, was overwhelmingly invested in the better-known dance form of Bharatnatyam. This was much earlier than the age of the social media or online platforms. So the only way to take my artform to the audience was through performances and those were few and far between. I struggled to find contacts who were willing to give me an opportunity to perform. But gradually people came to know about me and Odissi being here in Houston and I started getting more performance opportunities at important events.
In those days, Odissi was just gaining popularity in India let alone here in the US. At that time (and even sometimes now) there was hardly any remuneration paid to the Indian classical dance performers. So, my main source of income was my dance school. My target clientele was the very limited population from the communities of eastern India settled here. Moreover, to master any classical dance, it takes at least 6 to 7 years. With such a daunting commitment, the student population was extremely limited, and I really struggled initially as a professional classical dance educator.
Eventually things did get better. But then life threw a curve ball and I was diagnosed with Systemic Sclerosis. I discovered that it had affected my lungs, and the months of gasping for breath whenever I danced made sense. To me it felt like a death sentence. Without sufficient lung capacity how was I to continue dancing? But then life was kind enough to connect me to one of the leading researchers of our time, in this field. I underwent intense chemotherapy for two years. Though the disease was brought under control, it felt like, as a dancer, I was starting from scratch again. Still, each day is a challenge where I am constantly training my body to cope with my diminished physical capacity and balancing my treatment regimen with my physical activities. I come from a family of very strong and stubborn women. If life says “You can’t” do something, I am tempted to try it for sure. So far, my will power has won over my physical difficulties, and I hope the trend continues. I continue to challenge the disease (I do see it as my arch-enemy) and myself everyday. Recently I have taken up running and have a long bucket list of other adventures I want to try.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a full-time Indian classical dancer, educator, and choreographer. I perform and teach the classical dance style of Odissi, that hails from the eastern Indian state of Odisha. I am the founder/artistic director of Kalaangan, the premier Odissi dance school here in the greater Houston area. Apart from regular classes, Kalaangan offers workshops by leading exponents of the field from India and other parts of the US. I am also a faculty at Silambam Houston in Pearland and Kala Bhavan at West Houston.
As a performer, I am very proud to have performed at prestigious festivals in India and in the US. My Odissi performance was featured by the BBC in their documentary on Hinduism. I along with my students, have performed for the Prime Minister of India and the President of the United States at the Howdy Modi event with an audience of more than 50,000 worldwide. I am very proud of my students, who are known for their technical prowess and graceful performances. I have choreographed several productions that connect the traditional art form to modern-day issues. I strive to make this ancient art form relevant to the younger generation here in this country without compromising the purity of the same. I believe that an art form can survive through the ages if it adapts innovation that is done within its framework. For that, we need the newer generation to not only learn and understand the roots of Odissi, but we also need to give them the liberty of experimenting and applying their knowledge in representing their circumstances and issues.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Since childhood, my family has always followed the Bhagavat Geeta. To this day, that is my go-to text. I am an avid reader. I came across the book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch when I learnt of my diagnosis and was scared about my future. To this day, I cherish that book for giving me a beautiful outlook of life. I love the Bengali authors Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Other than books, I love listening to NPR. Some of my favorite shows are Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, Fresh Air, The Engines of our Ingenuity, the Sunday Puzzle.
My morning ritual includes doing some of the NYT puzzles. I love the Mini Crossword, the Wordle, Sudoku and the Connections. They help me relax.
Music (specially Indian classical, semi-classical and traditional Bengali and Hindi music) is a big part of my life, too. And I love to watch videos of dances, mainly classical dances. The amount of work being done by today’s artists and the caliber of these works is truly inspiring!!! Last but not the least I love people… Family, friends, students… They keep me happy, young, and on my toes.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Mohan Rao
Chetana Samal
Amitava Sarkar
Sandipto Datta
Murli Santhana
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