Odissi dance have a distinctive quality of their own. Odissi dance deals largely with the love theme of Radha and Krishna and this dance tradition was kept alive by the devadasis. Those who were attached to the Jagannath Temple were all Vaishnavites and those at Bhubaneswar were attached to Shaivite temples. Before the introduction of the Geetagovinda in temples, the devadasi used to dance to the recitation of hymns and bols of talas. But after Geetagovinda became part and parcel of the rituals, devadasis performed abhinaya with different bhavas and rasas.The different items of the Odissi dance style are Managlacharna, Batunrya or Sthayi Nata, Pallavi, Abhinaya and Moksha. In mangalacharana the dancer dedicates herself to the Lord and begs forgiveness of the Mother Earth for stamping her feet upon her; she apologises to her audience for any shortcomings and offers salutations to the Guru. Batu Nritya is pure dance. It begins with a series of sculpturesque poses symbolising the playing of the veena, drum, flute or cymbals.Pallivi is extremely graceful and lyrical. The tune is in some raga and is sung to the accompaniment of Sargam and Bols. Through facial expressions abhinaya depicts
rasa and bhava to bring out the meaning and mood of songs. Generally the songs written by poets, Banamali, Upendra Bhanja, Baladeva Rath, Gopala and Jayadeva are sung. Moksha Nritya is the last item, performed to the accompaniment of rhythmic syllables. It has a fast tempo. The soul of the dancer is supposed to merge with the Divine as the dancer becomes ecstatic. Odissi dance is an effort to come near the God and experience true bliss. Commendable efforts were made in recent times by many enthusiasts to promote Odissi among whom stands out the name of late Kavichandra Kalicharan Patnaik. The gurus who raised the dance form to the level of international eminence are Padmabhusan Kelu Charan Mahapatra, winner of Kalidas Samman, Padmashree Pankaj Charan Das and Deba Prasad Das. Renowned artistes of Odissi dance include Priyambada Hejmadi, Padmashree Sanjukta Panigrahi, Minati Mishra, Kumkum Mohanty, Oopalie Oparajita, Sangeeta Das, etc.
The Chhau dancers have to
practice difficult modes of walk-in, striking difficult postures and moving in a way peculiar to this style. It is a virile dance form and was in the past undertaken by male dancers who performed in female roles, as and when required. Today there are also female dancers who have mastered this art. The face is generally covered with .the mask of the character who being depicted by the dancer in the Saraikala School of Chhau form. But in the Mayurbhanj School, the face is left uncovered: Emotions and passions are not depicted by facial expression but by intricate footwork, whirls and jumps.
Hence, the feet and the legs are used to depict bhavas.The dance is usually performed in the open air on a raised platform, the musicians stand on one side of the platform and play on big kettle drums and other musical instruments. In villages, Chhau dance is usually performed during Chaitra Parva festival in the days concluding the month of Chaitra. Popular stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are staged. The costumes, the headgear and other ornamental requisites are carefully selected. The dance programme consists of solo, duet or group performances. The subject matter of Chhau dance is borrowed from the whole gamut of animate and inanimate nature. The female peacock, swan and deer dances depict the wild beauty and grace of the form and are excellently choreographed. The hilly region of north-eastern Orissa’s rich folk and tribal culture have influenced Chhau dance.
service of the Lord Jagannath, who is very much fan of music and song, is the action and pride of ‘Mahari’ tradition. Mahari tradition of the Sri Mandira is the beautiful Parijata flower of art and history of Utkal. Mahari tradition is the same and one union of Lord Jagannath and great Nari Mahari. Mahari Dance coming from the
Nata mandap of the temple has reached and extended to the stage and shastriya Odissi dance form. Amongst all, who made this Mahari dance thrive and has given to the people in general for publicity and its pride, Guru Pankaja Charana Das comes to the foremast rank.He has made the dream a reality. Now Odissi has climbed to the pick of culture everest of the world but the proponents of this art , that is the Mahari, are numbered and along with them will go this age old tradition of Orissa. We all, specially, the Oriyas should not forget the contributions made by this great Lories.
themes to suit modern taste.Jatra is performed on a simple stage with the spectators surrounding it on all sides. The chorus and the musicians take their position off stage. There are no stage properties except a single seat meant to serve various functions, as a throne, a bed or a way-side bench. The actors move in a very theatrical manner. They deliver their dialogues in high-sounding words and have to be loud enough to catch the attention of the spectators seated on all sides. Consequently they adopt an exaggerated delivery style. Their costumes glitter, their swords flash and their words thunder to the accompaniment of the crashing cymbals. Sometimes the actors are able to depict subtle emotional moods like, love, sorrow, pathos, but the element of exaggeration is always present as they have to project themselves as larger than life figures. Jatra becomes a great source of entertainment because of its tuneful traditional music with simple melodic lines, dance sequences, songs, action and humour. Taken as a whole, the jatra of Orissa has always remained essentially an institution of learning for the people in general
deity, usually Sarala, the muse of poetry, and briefly states the theme of his song. As he continues his performance, another singer asks him questions or requests him to elucidate a point. This the pala singer does with great elan: Generally, the pala songs are taken from the rich repertoire of Oriya poetry and literature with appropriate references to relevant Sanskrit verses. The pala singer not only sings out the narrative song. But has to be highly innovative to establish rapport with his audience. He is dressed in glittering robes and wears an ornate headgear. He holds a chamara (whisk) in his hand, which he wields with extreme flourish, as a weapon, a fan, and a pen according to the needs of his song and waves it as a divine blessing. Thus he has to combine drama, song and dance and as a narrator, detached from the main events of his dramatic song. Pala resembles a jatra but is not as elaborate. For instance, the Pala neither do a full-fledged cast nor does it have scene-wise divisions. The Pala is full of lines, repeated again and again, propitiating a deity and giving romance an air of sanctity. The singer also uses prose now and then to lines of verse in order to make the narrative simpler. It is generally a show.
ritualistic and secular in nature. The performers each holding a pair of sticks begin their performance in chorus with invocatory verses composed by the local poets, each one striking his own sticks in perfect tune. The recitation of mythological themes in usually at the top of voice hypnotizes folk listeners. The dramatic performance includes verbose stanzas of various types including pauranic episodes mixed with manly vigour. Luxurious in dress and with turban on head and wearing a long luish or silken coat, the two artistes create a visual attraction of the listeners by their gestures and postures. This vocal recital is based on some patterns of tunes of inherent southern rural character. The form of inimitable type of music is a distinctive contribution of Ganjam district of South Orissa. Accentuation of the languages, breaking of syllables with notes, rigid pronunciations indicate a clear fusion of southern patterns in Oriya. The Daskathia is also a very interesting folk art form in Orissa. The Daskathia performance is of a shorter duration than the Pala. 
the tune of the music. The acrobatic poses attached to the dance enthrall the audience. This dance is becoming very popular. The Gotipua team of Raghurajpur has earned much reputation. Researchers have found that the Odissi dance form owes its origin to Gotipua dance.
of the enchanting music. The medhas of Ravan, Trisira, Navasira and Naga dance are very popular in Puri town. During Rama Navami days this dance is enacted on the streets of Puri town for seven days.
Animal mask dance is prevalent in village of south Orissa especially in Ganjam. Particularly during Thankurani Yatra, when the idols are taken out on the streets, the animal mask dancers go on dancing in the procession. During the marriage ceremonies also they lead the bridegroom's procession all the way to the bride's house. The three animal mask dances typical of the area are the tiger, bull and horse dances. Two persons get into cane frames and conceal themselves within it. Their legs become the legs of the animals they are representing. 
institution of dance, music and dramatics blended with religion, social reformation and an association of universal brotherhood. Mainly a worship of Lord Shiva, the God of destruction of the Hindu mythology, who is also the Lord of histrionic arts (Nata Raj) and this theatrical form brings into its fold a harmonious feeling of co-existence between followers of different philosophical doctrines, between political principles and set of opinions. Along with votive dedications to Lord Shiva (Rudra, Hara, Mahadeva, Shankar, Bholanath) in a Danda Nata, the greatness of other Gods and Goddesses such as Vishnu, Krishna Ganesh, Durga, Kali etc. are also equally invoked. Similarly while the original participants in a Danda Nata were said to be only the low-caste Hindus, people belonging to higher castes such as Kshyatriyas and Brahmins also participate in the dance rituals with equal interest.
begins fifteen days earlier of Gamha Purnima (full moon in September) and culminates on that night in a ceremonial performance. Young men of various communities fix a Ghoomra each on the chest with string tied to the body simultaneously dance and play. The performance begins with slow circular movements. The Nisan is a smaller variety of Kettle-drum played with two leather-sticks. The player always places himself in the centre and controls the tempo of the dance. He also indicates change over of the movements. After a brief dance sequence in different rhythmic patterns all the dancers move in a concentric circle and then stand erect in a line. Then enters the singer who first sings in praise of Devi Saraswati and other Gods. During the rendition of songs the drums remain silent. After the prayer-song Chhanda, Chaupadi other literary folk-songs are sung. Each couplet of a song is followed by a dance piece. At the end of the each couplet the singer adds 'Takita Dhe' which is a mnemonic syllable for the time-beats and indicates the dance to begin.
village-priest tells the story or legend connected with it. This is followed by singing and dancing in accompaniment of drum (maadal), cymbal etc. The dance performance is full of vigour and energy combined with charm of the youth decked up with colorful costumes in exuberance of red cloth, set in peacock feathers skillfully designed ornaments made of small conch shells, brings the onlookers as well as the performers to a mood of trance and ecstasy. In this dance both men and women take part and continue to engross themselves for the whole night. The skillful movement of the young boys with mirror in hand indicates the traditional pattern of love-making in course of dancing and singing. The dance is performed sometimes by
boys in group, sometimes by girls in group and sometimes both the sexes together. The subject matter of songs constitutes the description of nature, invocation to Karmasani, desires, aspiration of people, love and humour. The Karam dance continues from dusk to dawn. Dance groups drawn from nearby villages dance alternatively throughout the night. In the early morning they carry the Karam branches singing and dancing and then immerse them ceremonially in a river or tank and then disperse. The technique of the Karma dance varies a little from tribe to tribe. The Kharias, Kisans and Orams dance in a circular pattern, where men and women dance together. It is always headed by a leader and generally the men at the head of the line. Only the best of dancers join in right next to or near him. Very young girls and children join in at the tail to learn the steps. When the dancing grows fast the dancers of the tail drop out to let the seasoned dancers show their skill. The dancers hold hands in different patterns in sync with different styles. Sometimes they simply hold hands and sometimes hands are placed on the waist of the co-dancer or are crossed. It is the legs and the feet which play the pivotal role in the dance. The dance begins lightly with simple steps forward and backward, left and right, then gradually the steps grow smaller and faster, growing more and more complicated, until that dance reaches its peak. Then it goes gradually to the first steps as the music leads to give dancers rest. The dancers have no special costume for the occasion. They dance with their usual attires which they wear daily. The dance is usually held in the courtyard of the village. In the center of the courtyard a bamboo is fixed and it is split into four up to a certain height and then bent to form the arches. Each split is fixed with a pole on the outer side to form the arch. Then it is decorated with festoons of mango leaves and water lilies giving it a festive look. The ground is neatly plastered with cow-dung. Men and women dance winding in and out beneath the arches.
usually the representations of various characters and animals of a particular drama. It is difficult to speak anything about its origin but undoubtedly is an old performing art form. The making of puppets with paintings, dresses and ornaments is a typical folk art for the enjoyment of people of all classes. Together with puppets there evolved another art popularly known as the expressive shadow plays which has the added advantage of being able to cater to large audience. The puppetry of Orissa may be classified into three categories, such as hand puppets, string puppets and rod puppets. 
dance and songs. In the dance only two persons take part, a Kela and Keluni (a female of the tribe). The Kela plays a peculiar string instrument Ghuduki which produces a peculiar sound. He works out rhythms by playing his fingers in strokes on a string. He dances with the Keluni and also sings. The dance of the Keluni is fast with swaying movements of legs, hips and the head. There are also exalted actions in half-sitting position. Generally it is she who carries the show. The songs are of a special variety and are popularly known as Kela-Keluni Geeta in which love and humour dominates the sequences. This dance is fast dying but it is being adopted by professional Yatra troupes and other groups of entertainers. 
Chaitighoda Nacha (Horse dance in the month of Chitra) is a folk performing art form connected with the Sakti cult of coastal Orissa and confined to the people of Kaibarta community only. This festival is observed for eight days by the Kaibartas in the month of Chaitra from the full moon day of Vaisakha in honor of their caste deity Vasuli Devi. A man in a horse costume dances to the tune of Dhola and Mahuri accompanied by songs composed by the local poets. The dancing party consists of two dancers, one male and one female, a drummer and a piper. The Kaibarta song of Achutananda Das, (one of the poets of Pancha Sakha group flourished in the 16th century) is believed to be only religious text of the Kaibartas. The Goddess Vasuli is held in high esteem among the Kaibartas. Here it may be mentioned that the shrines of Goddess Vasuli are spread across the state, but is considered to be the oldest in Puri where Raja of Puri provided land for regular worship of the deity. Vasuli Devi in many places is taken to be one of the manifestations of the Durga and one of sixty-four Yoginis. The horse dance is very popular and attracts a large audience. The performing group consists of three main characters- Rauta, Rautani and the horse dancer, besides the drummer and the piper. The songs rendered in the shows consist of the mythological episodes. Rautani is Rauta's co-dancer and co-singer.
and some other tribes of Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sundargarh and Dhenkanal districts of Orissa in which men join them as drummers and musicians. The dance is accompanied by a rich orchestra of folk music played by a number of instruments known as Dhol, Nisan (a typically giant sized drum made of iron case), Tamki (a tiny one sided drum 6 inch in diameter played by two sticks), Tasa (a one sided drum) and Mahuri. However, the Dhol player controls the tempo while dancing in front of the girls. It is known as Dalkhai because in the beginning and end of every stanza the word is used as an address to a girl friend. The love story of Radha and Krishna, the episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, the descriptions of natural scenery are depicted through the songs. The young women dance and sing intermittently. The songs are of special variety with the additive 'Dalkhai Bo' which is an address to a girl friend. While dancing to the uncanny rhythms of the Dhol, they place the legs close together and bend the knees. In another movement they move forward and backward in a half-sitting position. Sometimes they make concentric circles clock-wise and anti-clock-wise. The women generally dress themselves with the colorful Sambalpuri Sari and wear a scarf on the shoulders holding the ends below in both the hands. Bedecked with traditional ornaments and flowers their robust frames sustain the strains of the dance for long hours. The Dalkhai dance has several adjunctive forms known as Mayalajada, Rasarkeli, Gunji kuta, Jamudali, Banki, Jhulki, Sainladi etc. It’s basically a secular form of performing folk art. In a unique and rare form of festivity, the district headquarters town of Bargah in Western Orissa transforms itself into the world's largest open-air theatre every year. The town celebrates the ‘Dhanu’ (Bow) festival, which marks the triumph of Hindu God Krishna over his tyrant uncle-king ‘Kansa’, who had imprisoned his parents and forced him to live in exile for years, by enacting the entire episode. During the 11-day festival, almost every villager acts 
as an artiste and the entire village is turned into a stage.
Ironically, the hero of the entire drama is Lord Krishna but it is Kansa whose characterization dominates the festival. Hundreds compete to play one of Indian mythology's most hated characters, Kansa. The whole of Bargah becomes a replica of the epic town Mathura, the birth place of Krishna which is an entirely different experience for the visitors thronging the festivities. The town's people literally live back in time, dressing up in styles dating back to the mythological times. Different places, settlements and even rivers in Bargah are addressed by classical names adopted from Krishna's epic tale, the Mahabharata.
The festival started in 1947, as a form of Krishna Leela (plays).
Initially, the rural people of Bargah area, after harvesting, engaged in merry
making. As a part of celebrations, they enacted Krishna Leela in a small way,
which took a dramatic turn. Since then it becomes world's largest open air
theatre during the festival.
A type of theatrical presentation very interesting for the local people and prevalent in Sambalpur district. In this performance subject matter being a part of Krishna Lila, the river Jira is conceived as the sacred river Yamuna, Amapali as Gopapur and Badagada as Mahura. The main characteristics of the Jatra, besides other highlights, is Kansa's elephant ride in the street of the kingdom, his high Mancha from where he falls and dies, and his Durbar, everything is so well planned and improvised that perhaps nowhere in the world, a play has been made to achieve such a vast magnitude bringing that central goal in dramatics, the unity, the team spirit and the universal brotherhood. All the villages, town and the river turn to be acting zones; naturally all the inhabitants and visitors also turn to be characters.
some places the performers use masks and there are others who do not use them. We have no information with regard to the origin of this type of performance in Orissa but on the basis of availability of vast mass of Rama literature in palm leaf manuscripts, iconographic representation of Rama and his associates on the temple walls, presence of Hanuman images in various sacred places, the popularity of Ramayana in folk and sophisticated society, give a clear indication of continuity of the tradition of Rama Leela. The form of performance as we notice in the coastal belt of Orissa is as old as other folk performances. Of course, in the present day performance many other items of Jatra have been incorporated to gain a mass appeal.