Sachiko Murakami

🪔 About

Sachiko Murakami is a distinguished Odissi dancer, teacher, choreographer, and cultural organizer based in Osaka, Japan. Her dance journey began at the age of six with classical ballet, which she pursued for nine years, before exploring jazz, modern, and Balinese dance forms. In 1993, Murakami commenced her formal training in Odissi under Ms. Saeko Hamada in Osaka. She further deepened her studies in 1996 with Dr. Ratna Roy, a prominent disciple of Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das, in the United States, and also received training from Odissi dancer Choupra Mishra. Murakami marked her solo debut, known as Ranga Pravesh, in Seattle in August 1999, followed by her first solo recital in Osaka in October of the same year. In 2000, she relocated to Odisha, India, to undergo intensive training at the Orissa Dance Academy. There, she studied under the guidance of Padmashree Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Smt. Rojalin Mohapatra, and Sri Lingaraj Swain. She earned the Nrutya Prabha Diploma in Odissi Dance from the Orissa Dance Academy in 2002 and continues her advanced studies with Smt. Rojalin Mohapatra through regular visits to India. Murakami has been actively involved in teaching since 2002, when she began instructing at the Kobe Shimbun Culture Center. In 2005, she established her own Odissi classes in Osaka. A significant milestone in her career was the founding of the Odissi Dance Centre ODC in Osaka in 2015, an institution dedicated to the comprehensive study and promotion of Indian classical dance, music, philosophy, and traditional arts. She also serves as the director of the Odissi Dance Group “Padminii Kulam” and leads the Odissi live music ensemble “Sharanagati.” As a cultural ambassador, Murakami performs extensively in Japan, the United States, Canada, and India. She organizes workshops, curates cultural events, and facilitates artistic exchanges between Japan and India, including arranging tours and performances for renowned Odissi artists like Rahul Acharya and Smt. Rojalin Mohapatra. In 2025, she launched the "Odissi Dance Festival in Osaka," the first festival in Japan exclusively dedicated to Odissi, where she serves as the Festival Director. Awards & Honours: International Nrutya Bhushan Award (2008), IIDF–Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial Award (2015).