Pracheeti Dange, who recently won accolades for her solo recital at the Odissi International Festival in Bhubaneshwar, was passionate about dance since she was a teenager. "I was 13 when my mother introduced me to ‘didi’ (Yogini Gandhi) and ever since I have been hooked on to Odissi. Both my parents have a lot of respect for performing arts, so they introduced me to this particular art form which has also helped me evolve as a person,” says this senior disciple of Yogini.
Pracheeti has been learning Odissi for 12 years now and is the lead dancer with Kalanidhi troupe. This emerging soloist has also performed at concerts and major festivals across the country with her guru Yogini.
Pracheeti Dange, who also imparts training, says, “I began training others because I was interested and gradually I started enjoying the whole process. When you start teaching, you understand dance better. Besides, it keeps alive my interest in dance.”
Pracheeti, who has been dancing religiously, feels that in today’s world more people are becoming aware of the importance of performing arts. “Thanks to media and reality shows, there is so much exposure to the various arts,” says she. For this youngster, dance is synonymous with grace and it also creates a harmony of the body and mind. To get going, one also needs to be fit and Pracheeti feels that everyone should take up some form of art.