Shipra Avantica Mehrotra is recognized today as a leading Odissi dancer, choreographer, and educator. Shipra's technical virtuosity and evocative abhinaya showcase the innate lyricism and theatricality of traditional Odissi while she simultaneously revitalizes the dance form with her contemporary perspectives. This balanced approach has earned her the opportunity to perform at several prestigious events and dance festivals across the United States and India. The New York Times described Shipra's performance at the 2010 Erasing Borders dance festival as 'wholly poetic' and 'the truest revelation of dance itself.' Shipra is also the founder and artistic director of the Avantica Academy of Odissi Dance, where through an absolute commitment to excellence, she hopes to successfully pass down the timeless art form of Odissi to future generations.
Shipra's notable performances include the Kalashraya dance festival (2016), a 27-city tour across the US with the Orissa Dance Academy (2013), the Asia Society Texas Center's First Look festival (2012), the International Odissi dance festival in Bhubaneswar, India (2012), and the Chicago Opera Theatre's India Blooms in Chicago festival (2008). In addition, Shipra served as a dance consultant to famed Hollywood director Terrence Mallick for his film ‘The New World’ (2005) and was selected as one of 150 young leaders across the globe to participate in the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in New Delhi, India (2011).
Shipra was initiated into Odissi at a young age by Dr. Chitra Krishnamurti and had the great fortune to attend workshops by the late legendary gurus, Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra and Padma Shri Sanjukta Panigrahi. Shipra continued her advanced training under the expert guidance of gurus Padma Shri Aruna Mohanty and the late Padma Shri Gangadhar Pradhan at the prestigious Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar, India.
Shipra holds a BA in Sociology from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and an MA in South Asian Studies from the University of Chicago (Chicago, IL). She currently lives in Norfolk, Massachusetts with her husband and two children.