Odissi Dancers

Guru Pankaj Charan Das (1919-2003) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and the Ādi Guru of Odissi dance. He is known as the 'Father of Odissi dance' 

Kelucharan Mohapatra, (born January 8, 1926, Raghurajpur, Orissa, India—died April 7, 2004, Bhubaneshwar), Indian dancer who led a 20th-century revival of odissi, a centuries-old style of dance associated with temples of Orissa and one of the principal forms of Indian classical dance 

Mayadhar Raut is considered a master of Natyashastra and Abhinaya Darpana, and has enriched the Abhinaya vocabulary of Odissi. 

Deba Prasad Das was an Indian classical dancer, considered by critics and connoisseurs as one of the four first generation gurus of the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. His Odissi style is robust and unique. He was a recipient of the 1977 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. and 1974 Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. 

Gotipua, the mother of Odissi dance. 

Ileana Citaristi, was awarded the 43rd National Film Awards for Best Choreography for Yugant in 1995 and became, in 2006, the first dancer of foreign origin to be conferred the Padma Shri for her contributions to Odissi. 

Aptly referred to as the ' adiguru ' of Odissi, Guru Pankaj Charan Das was the guru of all the founder-fathers of Odissi dance – Kelucharan Mohapatra, Mayadhar Raut and Debaprasad Das – apart from most of the next generation of Odissi gurus who are internationally known today. 

Odissi dance pays great importance to Lord Jagannath who is considered to be the god of the universe and is worshipped by the people of Orissa. 

Sanjukta Panigrahi (24 August 1944 – 24 June 1997) was a dancer from India, who was the foremost exponent of Indian classical dance Odissi. Sanjukta was the first Odia woman to embrace this ancient classical dance at an early age and ensure its grand revival.