Dr. Sohini Ray (classical Manipuri dance Artiste) received Devdasi Award
- Award Presentation on September 26, 2013 -

Dr. Sohini Ray, the world-renowned master-artiste of classical Manipuri dance currently based in Los Angeles, USA has received the "Devdasi award" from the Devdasi Nritya Mandir, Bhubaneswor, Odisha. The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2013, as a part of the Devdasi Dance festival in Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswor. Dr. Ray's performance in the festival is scheduled on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

About the award

The "Devdasi Award" given by the Devdasi Nritya Mandir, a trust committed to the preservation and promotion of the Devdasi centered classical arts (namely dance and music) in Odisha. Now, in its eighth year, the award is given to mid-career classical dancers who have achieved excellence in a classical dance; and whose life and work mirrors that of a Devdasi in terms of commitment and dedication to the traditional arts. Dr. Ray is the first Manipuri dancer to receive this accolade. The function will be officiated by the Governor of Odisha, and the last two surviving Devdasis of Puri will be blessing the awardees as a part of the ceremony.

About Sohini Ray

Dr. Ray, a rare combination of an outstanding performer and a prolific scholar, has won the prestigious Lestor Horton award in 2008 for her production "Gita Govinda". (Lestor Horton award is the equivalent of the Grammy. It is given for live concert dance.) And, has received two more Horton nominations in 2007 and 2011. She won the Los Angeles Treasures award in 2007, and numerous other grants and fellowships. Dr. Ray along with her dance company, "Manipuri Dance Visions Ensemble" has toured extensively in North America and Europe, received rave reviews from the press.

A Ph. D. in anthropology from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Dr. Ray has held fellowships in Harvard University and has taught both academic and practical dance classes in several American Universities.

Her research on Manipuri dance won the prestigious J.B. Donne prize in anthropology of art from the Royal Anthropological Institute, UK in 2009; she being the first dance-researcher in the world ever to have achieved this rare accolade, also the first Asian and the first woman.

Dr. Sohini Ray :: pix - ManipuriDanceVisions.com

Dr. Ray was identified as a child prodigy by the legendary Manipuri dance maestero late Guru Bipin Singh at age seven and was trained by him and his senior disciples, Kalavati Devi and the Jhaveri sisters for more than twenty-five years. She received the prestigious national scholarship in Manipuri dance from the Government of India at age fourteen and numerous prizes and awards as a young performer in India, and was a lead dancer in Jhaveri sisters dance troupe for several years. Concurrently, while dancing professionally full-time through her college and university careers she stood first class first in Bachelor's and Master's degree in anthropology from University of Calcutta. In 1992 she chose to move to United States to pursue an MA in dance in University of California at Los Angeles, and has lived and worked there since.

Dr. Ray has travelled and researched in remote regions of Manipur for the past twenty years and has one of the finest collection of audio-visual materials on Manipuri dance in the world. Recently in Dec'12-Jan'13, her production, "Bhaktirasgi maangal khonjel: Sounds and Lights of Devotion" toured the premier venues of India including, National Centre for Performing arts (NCPA), Mumbai, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Epicentre, Gurgaon, Shambhavi Dance theatre (in collaboration with Karnataka Rajya Sangeet Akademi), Bangalore and several others. She was felicitated with the "Natya Saradhi" award in Bharath Festival, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

About her performance in Bhubaneswor

Dr. Ray will be performing a 20 minute version of her solo production "Bhakirasgi Maangal khonjel: Sounds and Lights of Devotion" in Bhubaneswor on September 25, 2013. The said production was a finalist nominee for the 2010 Margaret Mead award given by the Society of Applied Anthropology of the American Anthropological Association for successfully establishing dance as an application of anthropology. It features live dance pieces from classical Manipuri dance (originally choreographed by late Guru Bipin Singh in collaboration with the Jhaveri sisters) and film segments shot in the temples of Manipur showing the ritual roots of the dance form.

For more information please contact Sohini Ray at sohiniray7(aT)gmail(dot)com