ODISSI
Guru Shankar Behera et Flora Devi

Excerpts from the Gita Govinda.

See the video Chandana Charchita

In the twelfth century, the poet Jayadev composed the “Gita Govinda” – the Song of Krishna. The poem relates the love between the divine Krishna, the celestial flute player and his beloved Radha.

Shankar Behera, born in Orissa, is now considered to be one of the best dancers of Odissi. In performance with Flora Devi, thanks to the exceptional relationship between master and student, their art takes on a new dimension of space, time and sensitivity.

« The dancers expressed that amazing body language handed down from their ancestors,
their faces reflecting every polished movement, their eyes searching deep within , striking the ground with perfect rhythm, turning to the sound of instruments which slowly evoked the atmosphere of this ephemeral journey to the Land of a Thousand and One Nights."
Le Progrès, Valence

« Shankar Behera followed the music with sinuous movements of his ebony body. The audience watched in total silence. When the guru dances, it is for the gods. The mystic finale brought a moment of calm that allowed the dancer, now half-god, to serve as a liaison between the audience and the Supreme Being."
Le Dauphiné Libéré