Italian by
birth Ileana holds a Doctorate in Philosophy with a
thesis on 'Psychoanalysis and eastern mythology'. She
has come to Indian dance after years of experience in
the traditional as well as experimental theatre in
Europe. lleana has been living in Orissa, India,
since the year 1979 in close contact with the people,
their language and culture. Her mentor in the Odissi
dance style is the renowned Guru, Padmabhushan
Kelucharan Mohapatra.
She is equally
at home with the different martial postures of the
Chhau dance of Mayurbhanji which she has learnt under
the guidance of Guru Shri Hari Nayak, obtaining the
title of 'Acharya' from the Sangeet Mahavidyalya of
Bhubaneswar in Orissa.
Her
contributions, besides the many performances and
lecture-demonstrations given in all the major centres
in India, include articles on Oriya culture published
in Indian and foreign magazines, research work for
film documentaries on Odissi and Chhau dances and
practical dance workshops for dancers and theatre
workers which she regularly conducts under invitation
by different institutions in India and abroad,
Her innovative
choreographies in Mayurbhanji Chhau include the Greek
myth 'Echo and Narcissus', which was a revelation at
the East-West Dance Encounter held in Bombay in April
1985, 'The Wreck' (December 1988), 'Icarus' (July
1991), 'Pancha Bhuta' (January 1996), 'The Journey'
(1998) and in Odissi style the ballet 'Maya Darpan'
premiered at Nehru Center in Bombay in April 1993.
'A' grade
artist from Cuttack Television, Ileana has been
awarded the prestigious title 'Leonide Massine for
the art of dance' in Italy in September 1992 and the
'Raseshwar' award by the Sur Singar Sansad, Bombay,
in December 1994. In May 1996 she won the 'National
Award for best choreography' for her dance direction
to the Bengali film 'Yugant' directed by Aparna Sen
and in 1997 she won the Al India Cine Critic
Association Award in the Dance category. She has
conducted a research on the Martial Art of Orissa
under the aegis of the Indira Gandhi National Center
for the Arts, at present she has been granted a
senior Fellowship by the Dept. of Culture, Government
of India, for writing a book on Kelucharan
Mohapatra's life. In Bhubaneswar she is imparting
training in Odissi and Chhau dances to local as well
as visiting students in her own Institution 'Art
Vision', founded by her in the year 1995.
