Mrs. Jayashree Mohapatra, Orissa Society of New England, has been selected as the winner of 2010 OSA Kalashri Award among 15 OSA chapters in North America. The Award was presented during the 41st OSA Annual Convention in CA with presence of around 1000 people.

About Kalashri Award:

The Kalashree Award is an honor in recognition of an individual’s continued service to Oriya art, literature, music, dance, and similar cultural and heritage-based activities in North America.  More info about the selection process can be found on OSA web site.
 
About Jayashree Mohapatra:
 
Jayashree Mohapatra started her career from early childhood with initial training at Kala Vikash Kendra, Cuttack, Orissa. She is a direct disciple of world-renowned Odissi Gurus, Late Shri Kelu Charan Mohapatra and Late Guru Shri Raghunath Dutta. She holds bachelor’s degree, Nitya Prabha and master’s degree, Nritya Bhusan in Odissi.
 
She was one of the recipients of "Central Sangeet Natak Academy" Fellowships and had received several other Awards in the realm of Odissi Dance including felicitation from the former President of India, Shri N. Sanjeev Reddy for her exuberant excellence in performing and propagating the lyrical purity of Classical Odissi.
 
Her contributions towards Odia Culture:
She has been promoting the Odia culture in the form of Odissi Dance, Odia Drama, Sambalapuri Folk Dance,  and Odissi Style Bhajans in USA and Canada via live dance performance by herself, and by her students in various socio-cultural organizations not only in Odia community but also in non-Odia community. Her expressive "Abhinaya" and charismatic dance in "Pallavi" transcends the audience into the dream - world of form and rhythm.
 
She has been very well recognized for Odissi dance performance at Montreal TV channel,  Bengali Association Of Montreal and  for her fund raising efforts at Satsang Balgokulam, Satsang Center and THRIVE initiative at New England. She drove the efforts to have Odissi programs in Bagong Kulturang Pinoy Inc of Philippines, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON), Indian Association of Greater Boston (IAGB), India Society of Worcester (ISW), and many more.
 
This year she has choreographed the dance drama “Kanchi Abhijan” by OSNE junior artists, directed the Odissi dance, acted as the main character of the Odia drama “Dinu Kaka Thika Kahuthile” for the 2nd OSA Regional Odia Drama Festival in Orissa Society Of New England (OSNE).
 
Today, she nurtures the ambition to bring refreshing enthusiasm into the original Odissi form. As an Artist, she holds a great promise. She believes in creating a new horizon in Classical Odissi Tradition. Currently, Jayashree teaches Odissi at Winchester, MA.

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