GOPA RAUTRAY
How did you start dancing?
I was very young when I first started learning to dance. I had no inclination towards it as I was more into academics. It was my mom who saw the talent in me.
Are you happy that she put you into dance classes?
At that moment, I did not appreciate it as the teachers were very strict. Now, I cannot live without it. I am very grateful to my mom for being persistent.
What was it like growing up in India and dancing?
Coming from a conservative family, dance was not appreciated. However, my mom came from a family that valued the arts, hence, gave us all an exposure to the art field. There were times my mom had to face the family's wrath for putting me into a dance school, but that did not discourage her to do what she thought was right. After my first stage show, there was no looking back that dance is going to be my best friend for the rest of my life. I have performed extensively in India, and every performance I felt reborn. The newspaper articles that carried reviews of my dance encouraged me to improve myself every time, and that was what kept me more alive. Being an artist and being in a country which is rich in culture is a blessing, and I am thankful to God that I am blessed.
Do you think people still look down upon dancing in today's age?
No. Odisha has grown since I started learning dance. Now higher social classes value dance and put their children in dance schools.
What about here in Tampa?
When I started teaching dance in 1999, the only other Indian classical dance form known to Tampa was Bharatnatyam. I started teaching Odissi, another Indian classical dance form, with only 2 students. Since then I have noticed that Indian classical dance is not as popular as bollywood and bhangra among the younger generation. This might be due to the long learning process in mastering the classical art form, but I don't think dancing is being looked down upon in the Indian community. I am very happy about that!
How have you grown as a dancer?
When I was learning dance, I was more interested in performing. Even though I had gained a lot of popularity as a good dancer in Odisha, I remember my Guruji saying that, "Technically you are doing good, but there is something that you need to work on. You need to submerge yourself into the dance." At that moment, I did not understand what he meant. I was just a straight performer- learn it, execute it, learn it, execute it...something was missing. When I used to perform, the feeling was not there. I would take the expression and just execute it. One day one of my relatives, who was also an artist, told me, "You are not putting your soul into your dance. There is something that you are holding back." I asked Guruji how to put my soul into my dance, and he taught me to look in the mirror and start romancing with it. Pretend that the mirror is someone else standing there. From that day, I grew as a dancer as well as a performer, and there was no looking back. I have acclaimed a lot of name and fame since that day. In 1986 I went to study in New Delhi and started learning dance under another Guru. There, I learned the art of choreographing and teaching. Those are the two skills that I had with me when I started to teach here in Tampa. My marriage brought me to America, but I had no idea that I would be teaching here. With Guruji's help, I started my first class. Now my dance school has more than 100 students, which I am so proud of. It has taken so many years to establish this dance style. My school also provides training in other Indian dance forms. Every performance that my students give, helps bring in more students. As a performer I was a free dancer, but as a teacher I have a responsibility in guiding the younger generation in the right way so that they bloom into wonderful dancers.
Let's talk about your dance school. What was your intention in starting the Academy of Odissi Dance (AOD)?
I had lost my husband and had a child to take care of. I wanted to go to school so that I could get a professional job. That year, my mom was visiting me and said, "Rather than going to school to get a degree for a job, you have this skill already with you. Why don't you start teaching dance?" So, that's how I started teaching dance from home. It took a few years and a few more students, and my brother named my school Academy of Odissi Dance.
You mentioned being at a low point in your life. These days mental health is a huge issue in society. With that said, what role do you think dance plays relating to mental health?
When I started teaching dance, I was at my lowest point in life. At a very young age I had lost my husband, and I had an infant to take care of. Life was not easy for me. Getting prepared to teach my first student gave me something to look forward to. It was just a drop of hope. Little did I know that God was opening this door for me to alleviate my sorrows. Unknowingly, I had found the path that would heal me from the depression that I was going through. While I was teaching I was healing. My daughter also got a very good atmosphere growing up with my students. She developed a likeness towards dance by seeing these kids enjoying it. Now, she has become one of the best coaches of the academy. It has also been seen that dancing helps neurologically, and it is a stress reliever. Therefore, I would advise the younger generation to learn some form of dance or some form of art where they can release their stress.
So I see dance means A LOT to you.
Yes. Now, I can say that dance means everything to me. The deep root that I have because of dance is holding me up till now.
Let's backtrack to your dance school. AOD has grown a lot in these past few years. This year has also been a great year for the dance school itself. What are your future plans for AOD?
My future plan is to grow AOD so much that it impacts a lot of this younger generation. AOD does not only believe in teaching dance, but we also believe in sharing the Indian culture. We teach dancers to respect others. We teach kids to behave and to be organized. AOD is not only a dance school, but it's a family. AOD intends to teach dance in the proper way to as many students as possible. We want to create an atmosphere where there is a lot of bonding. For the kids that are going through troubled times, this school is a place to de-stress. They will learn to dance, to be good to each other, and thus turn out to be a good human being. I want to spread this culture and to bring Tampa wonderful dancing that will enrich the Tampa Indian community.
Do any of your Alumni visit you?
Yes! It makes me happy to see our graduated students visit us when they are in Tampa. Some of them come back and join the group to dance. We celebrate lots of things together. That feeling of togetherness through dance is what AOD is known for.
What advice would you give to someone beginning to pursue a career in dance?
Actually, I had not intended to make dance as my career. But I'll tell you that if you have a passion for dancing and if your intention is to teach, this is the best job that you could ever have. It not only caters to your passion, it caters to your professional ability to fend for yourself. It satisfies both sides of earning your living and enjoying what you are doing. It is an outlet for your stress, you are earning on your own, and you are the boss of your own business. You can make your own schedule and use the other time to do something else you like. If you are a person who enjoys creativity, this is the best job. Also, you can do a lot of charity work through dance. There are so many organizations to help. We have done many charity shows. Volunteering and helping others in need has brought me a lot of satisfaction.
You have an annual function almost every year. In that show, you have a bollywood section that focuses on social issues. Why do you think it is important to portray social issues via dance?
For me, the social issues are very important, specifically, the stigma that is attached. My intention is to break that stigma. I want people to know that there is ALWAYS help if you ask for it. However, you have to break that stigma and get out and ask for help. By portraying the issue visually, the audience can see and understand that it is okay to have problems. Nobody ever plans for problems, but that does not mean that they do not exist in society. You may not have a problem, but that should not stop you from helping others affected. For me solely dancing is one thing, but having a theme on a social issue doubles my effort and satisfaction of teaching dance. After shows, some people come to me stating that they had previously thought about the issues, but after seeing the performance it makes it interesting to know that the issue is there and that we can reach out to help. There are also those that may not like the issue, but if 4 out of 500 people like it, I will continue to take social causes and illustrate them. Sometimes we forget these problems, but when they come in front of us, it awakens us. I will continue to bring this awareness.
Last question, is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Last thing I want to tell the world is that race, creed, and color do not matter when you are a dancer or an artist. Respect, humility, and tolerance are all values that a genuine artist should posses. If the world can have many of such people, then a lot of the problems will cease to exist.
