Home > Arts & Culture > Indian Dances > Devraj Patnaik
Devraj Patnaik
Devraj Patnaik is an Odissi dancer, teacher and performer. He co-founded ‘Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations’ in 1994 with his mother and sister.

Share this Article:

Devraj Patnaik, Odissi DancerDevraj Patnaik is an Odissi dancer, teacher and performer. He is also a music composer, musician and percussionist. He honed his skills in such a vast field of creativity under notable teachers like Guru Sri Gangadhar Pradhan, Padmabibhusan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sri Banamali Maharana and Sri Umesh Chandra Kar to name a few. He co-founded "Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations" in 1994 with his mother and sister.

Early Life of Devraj Patnaik
Patnaik was born on October 28, 1975 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Chitralekha Patnaik. He has a sister named Ellora Patnaik who was born in Odisha, India. His family emigrated to Canada in the 1960s. During his younger days, he made several trips to India with his family.

Education of Devraj Patnaik
Patnaik attended Tom Thompson and the Rolling Meadows elementary schools and M. M. Robinson High School in Burlington, Ontario. In the year 1994, he received a scholarship from the Shastri-Indo Canadian Institute at the University of Calgary to study music in India for one year. During that tenure, he studied percussion from Badya Samrat Sri Umesh Chandra Kar (tabla) and pakhawaj under Guru Sri Banamali Maharana.

In the beginning, he received dance lessons from his mother and sister. They trained him as an Odissi dancer from a very young age. In his younger days, he also received training from notables like Guru Sri Gangadhar Pradhan, Padmabibhusan Kelucharan Mohapatra, and Padmashri Pankaj Charan Das.

In terms of music, he took lessons on the tabla in 1983 under a local percussion teacher. For the next ten years, he went on to receive training from well-known musicians like Sri Banamali Maharana and Guru Sri Gangadhar Pradhan on the pakhawaj, and Badya Samrat Sri Umesh Chandra Kar on the tabla. His initial training in Ragas went under the guidance of Sitarist Sri Jyotindra Prasad Mishra and musical genius K. Rama Rao Patra. Much of his knowledge of Indian Classical music is self-learned.

Career of Devraj Patnaik
He spends most of his time by spreading knowledge on music and dance to his students. He is teaching tabla and Odissi dance since the early 1990s. In the year 1993, he took over as Managing Director of the Chitralekha Dance Academy. Presently, he also gives lessons on vocal, harmonium and the Odissi mardal drum, or pakhawaj.

Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations Incorporated
Patnaik co-founded Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations in 1994 with his mother and sister. Presently, it is known as Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations Incorporated or CODC Inc.

In the year 1995, they inaugurated the presentation of major Odissi works on a hitherto unprecedented scale in North America, with Glaanisanghaar, or `the destruction of evil`, a dance drama. The drama threw light on the ten incarnations of Vishnu in accordance with the Gita Govinda or the twelfth century poet Jayadeva.

From then onwards, he went on to appear in major production of Odissi dance each year and participate in numerous local and international dance festivals. He also starred in several collaboratie works and plays, remarkably in the Rasik Arts` production of Girish Karnad`s Naga Mandala.

Since 2001, Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations Incorporated started presenting Devraj`s original dance choreography and music composition such as Panchadeva (2001), Jai Sri Rama (2006) etc.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Indian Dances


Methil Devika
Methil Devika is an Indian dancer, choreographer and dance research scholar hailing from Palakkad, Kerala.
Dance of Kali
Dance of Kali is performed in accompaniment of Mahadeva where the performer reflects the vigorous and grotesque forms of dance of Goddess Kali. The dance is a form of worshipping Goddess Kali in her most aggressive form symbolizing destruction of evil.
Folk Dances of Kerala
Folk Dances of Kerala have been very popular and diverse. There are around 50 folk dances in Kerala that are performed during various occasions.
Folk Dances of Maharashtra
Folk dances of Maharashtra reflect the state's rich cultural heritage and traditions. Prominent forms include Lavani, Tamasha, Lezim, and Gondhal, each associated with specific communities and occasions. These dances combine music, rhythm, and storytelling, often performed during festivals, rituals, and social gatherings, preserving regional identity across generations.
Folk Dance of Tamil Nadu
The traditional and cultural values of Tamil Nadu are reflected in their folk dance. The state has both features and regional autonomy authentic to itself. The folk dances are there since a long time and have made an important cultural representation all around the globe.