Sonali Mishra (Lara)

🪔 About

Sonali Mishra, also known as Lara, is a prominent Odissi dancer, writer, and researcher, recognized as a "Global Ambassador" of Odissi dance. Born and raised in the United States, her parents emigrated from Odisha in the late 1960s. Mishra began her Odissi training in her early teens at Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations in Toronto, under the tutelage of Gurus Smt. Chitralekha Patnaik, Smt. Ellora Patnaik, and Sri Devraj Patnaik. Since 1995, she has regularly traveled to Odisha, India, for advanced training and refinement. Her extensive training in India includes the Orissa Dance Academy, where she studied under Gurus Sri Ramesh Chandra Jena, Guru Sri Bichitrananda Swain, and Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty, under the direct supervision of Guru Sri Gangadhar Pradhan. She also received guidance from Guru Smt. Nandita Behera in Los Angeles. To further understand the intricacies of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra gharana, she continued her training at Srjan under Guru Smt. Sujata Mohapatra and Guru Sri Ratikant Mohapatra. Currently, she receives additional guidance from Delhi-based Guru Smt. Kumkum Lal. Mishra has also completed four phases of the 'Navarasa Sadhana' actor's workshop conducted by Kodiyattam artiste and scholar G. Venu in Kerala and is training in Yoga and body conditioning under Bharatanatyam Artiste Sri Renjith Babu Choorakad. She holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan and an MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, with a concentration on Cultural Policy and Development. In 2011, she relocated to Odisha, India, to continue her training, performances, and research. In 2014, she founded "Global Rasika," an online quarterly magazine dedicated to fostering critical thinking and discourse in Odissi dance. Since 2022, Sonali Mishra has been residing in Vrindavan. Awards & Honours: Devi Award for Advancing Arts and Culture through Dance (2020), Aarya Award for Women Achievers in the field of Arts and Culture (2018), Award for Contribution to Odissi (2017), Natya Bharati (2016), International Nritya-Shiromani Award (2013), International Nritya-Shiromani Award (2015), Nrithya Vilasini (2015).