Lasyakala Dance Vision

Lasyakala – The Vision (popularly known as Lasyakala Dance Vision) was founded by Odissi dancer, choreographer, and educator Saswat Joshi with the aim of nurturing dedicated Odissi practitioners and widening the form’s reach among diverse audiences. Emerging in the mid-2000s in Odisha’s cultural capital, Bhubaneswar, Lasyakala set out to provide rigorous training rooted in the guru–shishya parampara while maintaining an organized syllabus that supports progressive learning, from foundation to advanced repertory. The institute’s mission is threefold: to preserve the classical Odissi repertoire and technique; to create platforms for young and mid-career dancers through curated festivals and showcases; and to engage communities via workshops, school outreach, and international collaborations. Over the years, Lasyakala has presented student showcases and collaborative productions and has been associated within the dance community with curating and participating in thematic festivals (notably under the banner ‘Aekalavya’ led by founder Saswat Joshi). The school’s vision is to build confident, stage-ready artistes who combine strong nritta and nuanced abhinaya with an understanding of music, poetry, and stagecraft. Training at Lasyakala typically includes body conditioning geared to Odissi’s tribhangi and chowka postures, tala training with mardala music, repertoire classes (mangalacharan, batu nritya, pallavi, abhinaya, moksha), and rehearsal techniques for solo and group performance. Students receive guidance on costume, aharya (aesthetics), and performance etiquette. Lasyakala also engages in documentation and lecture-demonstrations, drawing on Odisha’s rich literary and musical traditions to contextualize Odissi for students and audiences. While the core is Odissi, the institute periodically introduces folk traditions of Odisha and allied practices to broaden students’ cultural horizons. The school has nurtured a cohort of young performers who have participated in festivals and cultural events within India and overseas under the institute’s banner.

We are proud to have earned 4 awards for our dedication to the art form.