Born into a family of artists, Diya and Risa D’Souza are preparing intensely for their upcoming Manch Pravesh (Dance Graduation) Their father, Raul D’souza, a Bharatnatyam exponent, has been dancing as the male lead in Hema Malini’s ballets, for two decades. Their beloved mother Mitali Raul, a disciple of Smt. Jhelum Paranjpe is also their guru. Diya has been performing from the tender age of 4 years. One of her memorable performances has been dancing in the Dance ballet with Actress Smt. Hema Malini. Risa is an Odissi dancer for the past 10+ years. To enhance the skills needed for dance, she has done 4 years of speech and drama with Trinity college, London.
Having performed across the world for over three decades, Mitali took Diya and Risa under her wing and has been training the duo for over 10 years. Odissi is a dance form that is prominent among the 8 classical dance forms of India, where the position is such that the upper body, being soft and fluid, is pushed through extensive isolated torso movements while the lower half of the body is strong and very grounded. So these two different energies are constantly juxtaposed and the beauty of Odissi lies in finding the fine balance, both physically and emotionally
Possessing a natural flair for the dance form, the girls have touched audiences through their sheer grace and stupendous talent. Their personalities have also been shaped by the art form – both Diya and Risa have gentle and grounded personalities. They have toured extensively and performed all over the world including the Monte Festival in Goa, our very own Kala Ghoda festival and several cultural programs in the USA. When they are not dancing, they give back to the society through volunteering at various NGOs and old age homes.
The upcoming Manch Pravesh (Dance graduation) on the 27th of November will showcase the glorious ambience of Odisha and is going to be yet another scintillating feather in their ever-growing cap.
Date: 27th November
Time: 10:00 – 13:00
Venue: St. Andrews Auditorium, Bandra (W)
