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Alapadma Odissi Dance Academy

TraditionTrainingTransformation

Learn Odisha’s sacred temple dance, its grace, rhythm and devotion, from a performer who has danced on stages in India, the USA, Singapore and Malaysia. Classes for ages five and up in Bachupally, Hyderabad, and online.

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  • Visharad in Odissi
  • Doordarshan ‘B’ Grade Artist
  • Stages in 4 countries
Odissi dancer in a magenta costume and silver temple jewellery holding a graceful mudra before the carved Konark wheel
Dancing since age sixTrained at RAWA Academy, Odisha
The Alapadma Odissi Dance Academy emblem: an Odissi dancer framed by laurels and a golden lotus

Welcome to Alapadma

Where every gesture blooms like a lotus

In Odissi, Alapadma is the hasta of the fully bloomed lotus: fingers unfurled like petals opening to the morning sun. It is the spirit of our academy.

Alapadma Odissi Dance Academy is a home for the classical dance of Odisha. Here students learn more than steps. They learn the sculpted grace, rhythm, expression and devotion that make Odissi one of India’s most beautiful classical traditions, taught in the lineage of Guru Shri Deba Prasad Das and Guru Shri Bharat Charan Giri.

Tradition

Authentic repertoire and technique, true to the temple roots of Odissi.

Training

Step-by-step learning of chauka, tribhangi, footwork, mudras and abhinaya.

Transformation

Dance as conscious living, building discipline, confidence and joy that last a lifetime.

Purnima performing an Odissi pose in a magenta costume before temple spires
Portrait of Purnima in Odissi adornment with a delicate hand gesture

Meet the Guru

Purnima Piyali

Odissi performer · Doordarshan ‘B’ Grade Artist

Purnima Piyali began learning Odissi and folk dance at the age of six at RAWA Academy, a premier cultural institution of Odisha, and has since danced on state, national and international stages.

  • Visharad in Odissi from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Mumbai
  • ‘B’ Grade Artist of Doordarshan Kendra Bhubaneswar (2016)
  • Performed on regional TV, National TV, New Delhi, E TV and O TV
  • Disciple of Guru Shri Bharat Charan Giri, in the style of Guru Shri Deba Prasad Das
Read the Full Story

Art not for art’s sake, Art for Service and Blessedness.

RAWA’s guiding motto, and for Purnima “the sole motivation all through the journey”
30+Festival stages
20+Cities
4Countries
8International events
World map with arcs from Bhubaneswar, Odisha to performance cities in the USA, Singapore and Malaysia

The Performance Journey

From the temples of Odisha to the world

From the Puri Beach Festival and the Taj Festival in Agra to stages in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Singapore and Malaysia.

  • United StatesNew York · Chicago · Seattle · Houston · Palo Alto
  • Singapore & MalaysiaThe Temple of Fine Arts, 2014 & 2016
  • Across IndiaHyderabad Odissi Utsav · International Odissi Dance Festival · Mukteswar Dance Festival · Taj Festival
Trace the Full Journey

The Art of Odissi

A dance sculpted in stone, alive in motion

Born in the temples of Odisha and carried by the Maharis and Gotipuas, Odissi unfolds through its sculpturesque tribhangi, subtle hastamudras and swirling bhramari in a recital of five stages.

  1. I

    Mangalacharan

    An invocation offered through Shiva and Krishna songs, saluting the divine, the Guru and the audience.

  2. II

    Sthayee

    A distinctive item conceived and choreographed by Guru Shri Deba Prasad Das.

  3. III

    Pallavi

    Pure dance that blossoms with a raga: Kalyan, Sankarabharan, Kafi, Basanta, Kalavati.

  4. IV

    Abhinaya

    Storytelling through expression: Geeta Govinda, traditional Odissi songs, Astasambhu, Navarasa, Durga Stuti.

  5. V

    Mokshya

    The finale of liberation, where dance dissolves into pure, spiritual joy.

Discover the art of Odissi

Guru Parampara

A lineage of living tradition

Odissi passes from Guru to shishya, teacher to student, like one lamp lighting the next.

  1. The Style

    Guru Shri Deba Prasad Das

    Shaped a distinctive Odissi style and introduced the Shabda-Swara-Pata.

  2. The Guru

    Guru Shri Bharat Charan Giri

    Acclaimed choreographer and recipient of Junior and Senior Fellowships from the Government of India.

  3. The Teacher

    Purnima Piyali

    Disciple and performer, now sharing this heritage with students at Alapadma.

  4. The Next Bloom

    You

    Your own journey in Odissi begins here. Make an enquiry.

Classes & Programmes

Begin your Odissi journey

Structured, joyful training for every age, from a child’s first chauka to the confidence of a solo stage performance.

Ages 5–12

Little Lotus

A joyful first step into Odissi through posture, rhythm, basic footwork, mudras and simple items that build focus and confidence.

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Teens & Adults

Foundation to Advanced

Step-by-step training in chauka, tribhangi, footwork, hastas and bhramari, progressing through the repertoire to Pallavi, Abhinaya and Mokshya.

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Watch & Be Inspired

Odissi, on screen

Performances, practice sessions and student showcases from the academy. Watch Purnima’s Astasambhu from the Hyderabad Odissi Utsav, and follow our YouTube channel for new videos.

Purnima has performed on regional TV, National TV in New Delhi, E TV and O TV.

Subscribe on YouTube More videos
Alapadma Odissi Dance Academy banner with a dancer before the Konark Sun Temple at sunset Alapadma on YouTube

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Your first step onto the stage

Tell us a little about the learner and we will share batch timings, fees and the best class to begin with.

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