Pavithra Reddy

Pavithra Reddy is an Odissi dancer, teacher and arts-education practitioner associated with Nrityagram Dance Village in Hessaraghatta, Karnataka. She began learning Odissi in February 1990, at age twelve, through Nrityagram’s Village Outreach Programme while living on a neighbouring farm. She became the first student to graduate from that outreach programme, beginning a lifelong association with the institution.

Her training at Nrityagram was shaped by Protima Gauri, Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy. In 1993, she was selected for further training and joined the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, becoming its youngest member. Her artistic work is grounded in Odissi’s nritta and abhinaya traditions, and she has also developed through collaborations with dancers and movement specialists from different parts of the world.

Reddy made her solo debut on 27 December 2003 and has since performed both independently and with the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in India and internationally. Her documented ensemble work includes performances of Nrityagram repertory such as Ansh and KHAṄKHAṆĀ: the sound of dancing feet. She has performed at venues including the India International Centre in New Delhi and the Alexander Kasser Theater in Montclair, New Jersey.

Alongside performance, Reddy is a senior teacher at Nrityagram and serves as Director of Arts in Education / Outreach Activities. She teaches in Nrityagram’s residential and community programmes and has created education initiatives including NG101. Her long-term contribution lies in carrying the Nrityagram approach to Odissi performance and in extending access to classical-dance training for younger learners.