About

Bijayini Satpathy, a distinguished master of Odissi on the global stage, has enjoyed a prolific career spanning more than three decades as a highly acclaimed performer, master teacher, and esteemed scholar. In 2019, at the age of 50, Satpathy embarked on a distinctive solo journey to expand the tradition through her own choreographic works. The premiere of her debut self-choreography, "Abhipsaa - A Seeking," in 2021 at Duke Performances received widespread praise for its compelling exploration and reinterpretation of the ancient tradition, propelling Satpathy to the forefront as a choreographer. Commissioned by Duke Performances and Baryshnikov Arts, with support from NEFA's National Dance Project, the New York premiere of "Abhipsaa - A Seeking" was hosted in 2023 by Baryshnikov Arts, preceded by a virtual presentation in 2021 featuring a conversation between Bijayini Satpathy and Mark Morris with an introduction by Mikhail Baryshnikov. The work continues to tour globally garnering praise from critics and audiences. In 2023, Bijayini Satpathy also performed “Sitaharan” with live music at the 20th edition of Fall for Dance and the 80th anniversary of New York City Center.

Satpathy is an invited scholar to the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Residency 2024 to further her research and development of the Odissi training pedagogy. She is also a 2023-24 fellow at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, deepening and strengthening her choreographic vocabulary. During her tenure as the artist in residence at the Metropolitan Museum's Department of Live Arts in 2021-22, Satpathy found inspiration in four distinguished galleries. Exploring architecture, heritage, narratives, myths, and aesthetic elements, she embarked on what she considers her most daring artistic venture yet. This journey culminated in "Doha," an innovative exploration that built upon movement studies conducted at The Met Cloisters, the Modern and Contemporary Art wing, the Islamic Art wing, and the Astor Chinese Garden Court. Dance Magazine aptly observes, "When Bijayini Satpathy dances, the atmosphere shifts... Her onstage world envelopes everything, leaving only her mesmerizing performance in focus."

Her exceptional contributions to Odissi in Education and Performance were recognized with the Dance Magazine Award in 2023. In 2020, she received the prestigious NY Dance and Performance Bessie Award, and in 2019, Dance Magazine acknowledged her as the Best Solo Dancer. In India, she has been honored with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Ministry of Culture and the esteemed Nritya Choodamani title from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.

Satpathy cultivated her passion for Odissi early in Orissa and spent 25 years at Nrityagram, where she was a principal dancer, teacher, researcher, and administrator from 1993 to 2018. Discovered by Nrityagram's founder, Smt. Protima Gauri, she collaborated closely with Artistic Director Surupa Sen, achieving global recognition for their distinctive duets. Her profound understanding of integrated physical conditioning for Odissi, combined with expertise in Yoga, Natyashastra, Kalaripayattu, western techniques, anatomy, and kinesiology, led to her role as Nrityagram's Director of Training and Outreach, elevating the international standing of the school for its distinctive training approach.

Regularly invited by cultural organizations and educational institutions as a speaker and scholar, she has been featured twice at the NY City Center Studio 5, in 2021 and recently in 2023, for lecture-demonstrations of her pedagogy. Since 2023, Satpathy continues to host an annual residential workshop in India, attracting students from around the world. She was also invited by Dance Teacher+ to showcase her pedagogy on their online platform in 2023. In 2015, she held the position of Regents Residency Lecturer in the Department of World Arts & Cultures/Dance at UCLA.

Satpathy's essay "The ever-expanding horizons of the world of Odissi" in The Oxford Handbook of Indian Dance, edited by Anurima Banerji and Prarthana Purkayastha, is scheduled for publication in 2024 by Oxford University Press, New York.