Sitara Thobani
|
In August of 2005 Sitara performed her Orissi Ranga Pravesh (solo debut) on stage in Vancouver, B.C., bringing to fruition many long years training. As a child Sitara studied Bharata Natyam, under Lata Pada, but began studying Orissi at twelve years of age under Gargy Banerjee of Vancouver, B.C.. In 1997 Sitara began training under Gargy's teacher, Ratna Roy. Sitara went to India twice in 2000, studying at Nrityagram for 1 month and then at the Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar for another month. Sitara performed on stage at the 2nd International Odissi Dance in Washington DC in 2003. She has performed internationally in India, the USA, and Tanzania, as well as her adopted home country of Canada. Sitara has received a Canada Arts Council Grant for Emerging Professionals and an Indo-Canadian Shastri Institute Scholarship for further dance and percussion training in India.
Click photo to see Sitara in Calcutta, India, 2003.
|