Kelucharan Mohapatra, 77; Traditional Dancer in India

Kelucharan Mohapatra, a major dancer, choreographer, scholar and teacher in his native India, died Wednesday at his home in Bhubaneswar, in the eastern state of Orissa. He was 77.

His specialty was Odissi, a lyrical, sensuous temple-dance style dating to the 9th century that he helped reconstruct and renew in the 1950s. He also became a celebrated performer, and when he appeared at the Japan America Theatre four years ago, The Times praised his “vibrant and often witty genre scenes” and “highly specific facial acting (including choreographed eye motion).”

The review continued: “But, essentially, Mohapatra’s taut, expressive body sculpture told the story of these dances, and the flow of movement through his body connected all the ravishing details.”

Mohapatra -- sometimes known as Mahapatra -- was born into a family of traditional painters on Aug. 1, 1926, in Raghurajpur, Orissa. He began performing as a boy, both as a dancer and a drummer, studying with masters of Odissi and later joining a school in Cuttack specializing in Odissi music and dance.

In his mid-20s, he became one of the key artists who revived and reinvigorated Odissi as a classical theater-dance form, drawing inspiration from sculptures on Orissa’s temple walls, from traditional paintings and literary sources. He choreographed a number of dance dramas, composed music for dance and helped a number of his students develop into major artists.

The recipient of numerous awards, Mohapatra performed and taught Odissi until his death.

“It was Guru Kelucharan with his extraordinary sense of the form and technique, his deep spiritual sense and creative urge who enriched and perfected what is known as Odissi dance today,” wrote Bhubaneswar dance critic Bibhuti Mishra in a tribute to him Wednesday.

“He respected the Odissi idiom but was not afraid of innovations without breaking grammar; no wonder that under him the form flowered gracefully and bountifully. Today, a performance of Odissi without a Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra choreography is almost unthinkable.”

Survivors include his wife, Laxmi Priya; his son (and dance disciple), Rati Kanta; a daughter and a granddaughter.