Like other forms of Indian classical dance, the odishi style traces its origins back to antiquity. Dancers are found depicted in bas-relief in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) dating back to the 1st century BC. The Natya Shastra speaks of the Dance from this region and refers to it as Odra-Magadhi.
Over the centuries three schools of odishi dance developed: Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipau. The Mahari tradition is the devadasi tradition; this is the use of women who are attached to deities in the temple. The Nartaki tradition is the school of odishi dance which developed in the royal courts. Gotipua is a style characteristed by the use of young boys dressed up in female clothing to perform female roles.
odishi has two main postures called as tribhanga and chaukha. Tribhanga is a thrice deflected posture and very feminine in features. Chaukha is a wider posture of araimandalam in bharatanatyam.
odishi will start with the invocatory item 'Mangalacharan', a tribute to Mother Earth, Lord Jagannath and the other Gods, also with stanzas to welcome the audience and to thank one's Gurus. odishi has two major facets as nritta and abhinaya.Nritta is a non representational facet in which ornamental patterns are created by using body movements in space and time. Abhinaya is a stylized mime in which symbolic hand gestures or facial expressions are used to interpret the theme.
The favourite themes of odishi performance is the divine love between Radha and Lord Krishna. It will contain at least one or two ashtapadis from Jayadeva's Gita Govindam, which describes in exquisite Sanskrit poetry the complex relationship between Radha and her Lord. Other common themes of odishi are Dashavatara, a description of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Batu Nritta, based on Lord Shiva.
