Supriya Nayak

🪔 About

Supriya Nayak is an Odissi dancer originally from New Delhi, India, who has been based in Toronto, Canada, since 2015. Her extensive training in Odissi began under Kiran Segal, with whom she studied from 1992 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2013. Subsequently, she continued her training under Ambika Panikar and Aloka Paniker from 2013 to the present. Since 2015, Nayak has also incorporated the Alexander Technique into her artistic practice, studying under Elaine Kopman and Howard Bockner, which has further enriched her movement. She holds an MA in Modern Indian History from Delhi University, earned in 2006. Nayak's career as a performer has seen her work presented by prestigious institutions such as the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, the International Odissi Festival, the Odisha Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She has performed internationally in countries including Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, and the USA. Notable performances include her rendition of Bageshwari Pallavi, a composition by Mayadhar Rout, at the International Odissi Dance Festival in Bhubaneswar in 2011, and a duet with Madhyama Segal at the International Odissi Dance Festival in New Delhi in December 2012. In 2020, she choreographed and danced to "Kannamma" for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's Thanksgiving program. Beyond performing, Supriya Nayak is also an Odissi teacher, having taught at Ashoka University and conducted workshops and guest lectures for organizations like SPICMACAY, Sahitya Kala Parishad, and the University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM). She is actively engaged in research and writing on Odissi, contributing to the academic discourse surrounding the dance form. Her performance repertoire includes works by renowned choreographers such as Kiran Segal, Rajendra Gangani, Brandy Leary, Lee Su-Feh, and Nova Bhattacharya.