| After
seeing one video of the performance of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra in
TOKYO, I decided to learn Odissi dance. Next moment I was at the embassy of India, asking where to go. They gave me a brochure of Nrityagram, so I went to Nrityagram. Bangalore. India. It was 1996. When I reached Nrityagram, Protima Gauri Bedi (GAURIMA) asked me, WHAT DO YOU WANT? I said, I want to learn Odissi dance. And she said, YOU ARE GOING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ODISSI DANCER, OR ELSE, GO BACK HOME! I replied, I will try to be a professional Odissi dancer. And GAURIMA asked, DO YOU WANT TO BE AN ODISSI DANCER, OR YOU WILL BE AN ODISSI DANCER? I got the message, and I declared, I WILL BE a professional Odissi dancer! she smiled, and said, WELCOME TO NRITYAGRAM. Since then, I have been an Odissi dancer. masako ono |