Jyoti Unni

🪔 About

Jyoti Unni is a distinguished exponent of Odissi, an Indian classical dance form, known for her striking stage presence, precise dance techniques, and expressive abhinaya (facial expressions). Her journey into Odissi began at the age of ten under the tutelage of Guru Rabindra Kumar Swain in Odisha, the dance form's land of origin. She further honed her skills under the guidance of Smt. Sangeeta Dash, specializing in the Guru Deba Prasad Das style of Odissi. Jyoti Unni achieved the 'Sangeet Prabhakar' degree in Classical Odissi Dance from Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad, with distinction. Her formal debut, known as 'Manchapravesh,' took place in 1987. Since then, she has performed extensively and conducted lecture-demonstrations across India, Singapore, and Dubai. Jyoti Unni has graced prestigious festivals such as the Soorya Festival in Trivandrum, Bharatham Dance Festival in Thrissur, Swaralaya Swati Sangeetholsavam in Palakkad, and Odissi International in Bhubaneswar. She was also featured in 'Navarasa,' a dance series on Classical Indian Dance on Vasantham T.V. Channel. As a choreographer, Jyoti Unni has led several productions, including 'Krishnavtaar,' 'Urvashi,' 'Ramayana,' and 'Dashavtaar' under the aegis of Kutapo-Centre of Classical Odissi dance. Her choreographies have been staged internationally, notably 'Sculpting Space: An Odissi Narrative' in Singapore in 2016, which featured her Guru Sangeeta Dash and senior students. She has also collaborated on productions like 'Samvaada - Two Dance Traditions in Conversation' (2012) and 'SILK ROOTS' (2015), which blended Odissi with Chinese and Malay dance forms. Jyoti Unni has a significant teaching legacy, having imparted training in Odissi at the Global Indian Cultural Centre (GICC) in Singapore from 2006 to 2017. She received the GICC long service award in 2011 for her contributions. In 2018, she relocated to Dubai, where she currently serves as the Odissi faculty at the Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts. She is also an empanelled artiste of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) as an Odissi soloist. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Prabhakar degree, First prize in Junior Category (1989), GICC long service award (2011), International Natya Sarvabhouma Award (2020).