Shantona is of Malaysian Indian descent and classically trained in the Indian dance forms Odissi and Bharata Natyam.
Odissi |
The dancers are put through a battery of rounds which test their ability to pick up various dance styles (typically some of the more well-represented genres that will later be prominent in the competition phase, such as Hip-Hop, Bollywood Dance, Jazz, Bharat Natyam, Kathak, Mohiniyattam, Odissi and Contemporary).
Its revival and adaptation for stage performances are credited to the late Odissi doyen Guru Pankaj Charan Das.
In 1996, Ono joined Nrityagram, the dance village in India started by the noted Odissi dancer, Late Protima Gauri, and won a scholarship for her studies.
Mayadhar Raut is considered a master of Natyashastra and Abhinaya Darpana, and has enriched the Abhinaya vocabulary of Odissi.
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Mayadhar Raut was born in the village Kantapenhara in Cuttack district, subsequently he received his dance training under the Guru-shishya tradition of Odissi by Rukmini Devi Arundale at Kalakshetra.
Pennaach performances have included a traditional diya (candle) dance that highlights three classical dance styles (Bharathanatyam, Kathak and Odissi); lavni, a style which is typical to coastal fishing communities of western India; Giddha, an upbeat Punjabi folk dance; Garba, a popular Gujarati folk dance, as well as modern items such as Madonna's Om Shanti and various Hindi movie dances.
Abro specializes in Bharatanatyam, and has also learnt Kathak and Odissi; Three of eight forms of Indian classical dance and also choreographing and performing Sufi, folk, modern/contemporary as well other genres of classical dance.