At home with Odissi

Nearly two decades ago, American-born Sharon Lowen set out to master an art form alien to her. Today, she is a name to reckon with in the field of Odissi. NANDINIRAMANI writes about the artistic voyage of the dancer.

CLAD IN a tasteful Ikkat saree, she is a perfect picture of elegance and poise. Sharon Lowen, an exponent of Odissi, brings together two different cultures with elan and is a well-known name in the field of performing arts of the North today. It was her keen interest and involvement in Odissi that brought her to India.

Sharon was in Chennai recently to perform on the opening day of the dance festival of Kartik Fine Arts. She has been practically living in India for the last two decades, to pursue her artistic commitments and establish herself as a professional dancer. She recalls her early days of training under the meticulous care of her teachers, not only in Odissi, but also in Manipuri, Mayurbhanj Chhau and Seraikella Chhau.

American-born Sharon received her training in Odissi from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. "The vitality, the universal appeal and the sculpturesque beauty of Odissi fascinated me and helped me realise the eternal continuity of the truth of life and existence through the exquisite artistic streams of India", says Sharon, while describing her bond with her art.

With a sound academic background, having received a Masters degree in Dance from the University of Michigan, and deep interest in allied fields of Indian art and culture, Sharon stands out as a noteworthy achiever among many of her own fellow artistes who have been involved in similar studies. She has won acclaim for her work in promoting and propagating the art form in India as well as in the West, through lectures, demonstrations, and cross-cultural events. For six years, Sharon successfully convened and conducted the Videshi Kalakar Utsav, an annual festival and seminar of dance and music by artistes from outside India, under the auspices of the Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad.

At "Maanasa Centre for Art Without Frontiers" in New Delhi, Sharon holds the position of honorary director and president, and is actively engaged in promoting performing arts. Her contribution in this field, which comprises a long list of her own performances, writings and lec-dems, apart from her being a visiting professor to various universities abroad, speaks of her extraordinary skill to create and perpetuate the art form. Sharon met her husband, an American scholar working for the Indians, in India and is a mother of a teenaged daughter.

Amidst the innumerable practitioners of the performing traditions in India, what Sharon has achieved is something unique and comparable to the impact created by Jon Higgins, the Carnatic vocalist. Indeed, Sharon is a sincere pathfinder on an alien cultural voyage.

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