Misha Talapatra

Misha Talapatra is a dance artist based in Chicago IL specializing in the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. Her dance training started at age six in Bharatnatyam under Chaula Thacker (Nadanta) and Rupa Shyamsundram (Nrityollasa Center for Performing Arts), before finding her calling in Odissi. In 2006, she began her Odissi training under one of the foremost exponents of Odissi in the US, Sreyashi Dey. After training, she got the opportunity to tour nationally (NY, DC, PA, KS, MI) and internationally (India) as a principal dancer in her guru’s dance company, Srishti Dances of India. Misha was also fortunate to receive training from dance maestros Manoranjan Pradhan, Ratikant Mohapatra, Jhelum Paranjape, Bichitrananda Swain and Bijayini Satpathy. She has performed across the US and India in critically acclaimed productions, dance theater, showcases and festivals. Currently, she is a founder and board member of Aikyam ODC, a dance collective based in Chicago, and with over eight years of teaching experience, she teaches Odissi to students in the greater Chicago area.