Saswat Joshi: Renowned Odissi Dancer and Choreographer
Saswat Joshi, a distinguished Odissi dancer and choreographer, was born in Titlagarh, Bolangir district, Odisha, on July 12, 1984. His dance journey began at the age of five under the guidance of Guru Prasanta Patnaik and Guru Shantanu Behera in his native village. He later received formal Odissi training from Guru Padma Shri Kumkum Mohanty starting in 2000 and honed his craft further under Guru Padma Shri Ileana Citaristi.
Saswat has been honored with a National Scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and holds multiple degrees in dance. He graduated with a gold medal in VISHARAD from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh University, and earned his Master’s degree from Rabindra Bharati University, where he was awarded the Sangeet Ratna and gold medals in both his degree and master’s programs.
His impressive performance repertoire includes a notable appearance at the Musée Guimet in Paris in 2012 and many other iconic venues across the globe, including the Colosseum (Italy), Red Square (Moscow, Russia), Centennial Olympic Park (Georgia, USA), Times Square (New York, USA), USA-Canada Border (Michigan, USA), Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia), Merlion Park (Singapore), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), Qatar Skyline (Doha), Kuwait Towers (Kuwait), Stone Forest (Kunming, China), Bahrain Skyline (Bahrain), Samten Hills & 81 Landmark (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), and many more. Joshi is celebrated for being the only male Odissi dancer to perform in front of world wonders like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum in Rome. His performance in front of the Eiffel Tower went viral on YouTube, garnering millions of views.
Lasyakala dance vision is the premium institution for Odissi dance. It is working for the development of Indian classical dance in the rural and tribal districts of Odisha. So many young and promising students could able to take classical dance as a career and valued their talent through the awareness of Lasyakala.
Lasyakala organize it’s annual day celebration every year also last 10 years it has been organizing Aekalavya Samman in Odisha and different part of India and abroad, season 9 Aekalavya was in Malaysia with NSCB Indian cultural Center, 10th edition was in Dubai with OSUAE and The Consulate General of India. The young and established promising dancer gets Aekalavya award year.
Lasyakala annual workshop Kallol, the sound of excitement give chance to the underprivileged and below poverty line children to grow in their life..
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“Happy For Hope” was a pioneering online festival initiated by renowned Odissi dancer and choreographer Saswat Joshi. It aimed to support artists during the lockdown by providing a platform for them to perform from home.
The first of its kind for Indian classical, folk dance, and music, the festival connected artists and audiences globally, celebrating cultural events like Raja, Ratha Yatra, and Guru Purnima.
Hosted by Lasyakala Dance Vision, the initiative garnered significant engagement, with weekly reach of 50,000 and over 15,000 video views.