Sutapa Awon Pradhan

Milestone Performances: A Journey of Devotion and Discovery

Beginning her dance journey at the tender age of six, she was initially trained under the guidance of Guru Abhoy Pal, Lecturer at Rabindra Bharati University. Her passion for Bharatanatyam led her to Bharata Kalanjali in Chennai, where she underwent rigorous training under the legendary Guru Dhananjayans. While Bharatanatyam remains her core, she expanded her artistic vocabulary through training in Odissi and the martial art-based Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha.

Her pursuit of deeper expression took her to workshops with some of India’s finest dance scholars, including Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam (Natya Shastra & Abhinaya Darpan), Kalanidhi Narayanan (Abhinaya), Mandakini Trivedi (Dance Appreciation), and Dr. Kanak Rele (Abhinaya & Nayak-Nayika Bhed). Alongside her classical journey, she immersed herself in the folk traditions of Bengal at SARABHUJ, Midnapur, under Dr. Tarun Pradhan—who remains her greatest inspiration. Her performances are enriched by her personal archive of rare folk masks, musical instruments, costumes, and indigenous songs, collected over years of passionate fieldwork.