Ramani Ranjan Jena

🪔 About

Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena was a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, primarily recognized for his profound contributions to Odissi. Born on August 15, 1941, in Udambar village near Remuna in the Balasore district of Odisha, his journey in dance and music began at the tender age of 11. He initially worked with a touring theatre troupe for four years as a child artist before joining the Janata Ranga Manch in Cuttack as a dancer. His formal training in Odissi was under eminent gurus including Gayadhar Panda, Ramaswami, Ramgopal Mishra, Raghunath Dutta, Mayadhar Raut, and most notably, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, at the Kala Vikash Kendra (KVK) in Cuttack, where he also earned a Master's degree in Odissi and a bachelor's degree in Kathak. Jena was an ace performer known for his natural execution of Odissi flow and folk dances, with his Kela Keluni dance being a signature presentation. He began his teaching career at KVK, Cuttack, and later joined Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1973, where he taught Odissi for three years. He also taught at Nrityagram near Bangalore, the Odissi Research Centre in Bhubaneswar, and for a period in Osaka, Japan. In 1983, he established his own institution, the Kamala Kala Peetha, in Cuttack, to train local and international students. In 1989, Guru Jena moved to New Delhi, where he settled and taught Odissi at Triveni Kala Sangam. He was also a dance director for five Oriya films and received fellowships for his research on 'Natraj in Odissi style' and 'Similarities and differences in Chhau and Odissi dance styles'. Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena passed away on March 26, 2016, at the age of 75, in his village Remuna, Odisha. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008), Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award (2009), Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award (2008).