Odissi dance Netherlands

The sublime architecture of creation ✨

The concept of a legacy is often primarily linked to the beautiful continuity of passing on life. How fundamental that may be, the scope of our creative power extends beyond the biological lineage alone.

Historically and philosophically, the essence of a legacy lies in your ability to leave a meaningful, energetic footprint.

A legacy reflects the deepest expression of the soul. It is a harmonious interplay of deep wisdom, intellectual sharpness, and dedication to a lifelong process of learning and teaching. It takes shape in authentic self-expression, in the work you perform, and in the meaningful service by which you uplift the collective. Something you may recognize in the greatest thinkers.

To create such a legacy, it is essential to connect with your inner fire. In our classes, we help you seek depth by looking within yourself and exploring what you find there. You are welcome in our dance studio and on the mat. You can find the current schedule via the link in our bio. 💜

Jewelry in Odissi

Did you know that the jewelry worn in Odissi dance is much more than decoration?
Traditional Odissi jewelry is handcrafted in silver, reflecting the rich artistic heritage of Odisha, India. Each piece, from the necklaces to the earrings and bangles, completes the dancer's expression and storytelling. I love this storytelling and am therefore very much involved in the jewelry that I wear when dancing Odissi.

The forehead ornament I wear is also known as the tikka. It holds special significance as well. It symbolizes focus, devotion, and the connection between the inner self and the divine.

These beautiful details are an essential part of Odissi's timeless tradition, where every element carries meaning beyond movement.

If you would like to know more about this, please sign up for the newsletter through the link in bio. I would love to keep you posted.

Happy Summer Solstice and International yoga day! 🌞🧘‍♀️

On June 21, we experience the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun is high in the sky, inviting us to pause and reflect on ourselves and turn inward for a moment. And precisely for this reason, this day has also been International Yoga Day since 2015.

Yoga helps us find more peace, clarity, and connection, both in our minds and in our bodies. Midsummer represents growth, new energy, and conscious living. It is a beautiful moment to pay extra attention to your practice, both on the mat and off it.

How are you going to celebrate this day?

Mark your calendar: L’Aparté event

After announcing it for a while, the time has almost come! On Saturday, June 13th in Rotterdam: L’Aparté!

With a deep-rooted knowledge of yoga philosophy and ancient scriptures, Bold & Gracious translates the wisdom of traditional yoga into the modern era in an elegant and accessible way,refined, deepening, and fully attuned to life today, added with a twist of rhythm and flow.

I would love for you to be there. You can sign up via the link in my bio. You will find all further information there.

*Depending on nationalities, the event will be held in English or Dutch.

Earlier this month, I shared that I have been feeling a deepening need for personal connection. On social media, so much of what we do is broadcasting. While there is immense value in that, I have come to realize that sharing beneath the surface is so much more powerful in a small, personal setting. It is within that intimacy that the most beautiful energy and meaningful exchanges truly flourish.

This is why I have created something new: a personal update via email. This is not a standard newsletter, but rather an honest glimpse into what stirs my soul and the lessons I have learned. It is a space where I can dive deeper into what occupies my mind and perhaps yours, too.

I would like to share my journey, what drives me, and the path I have walked so far: the life lessons and insights I have gathered along the way that often make me think, 'what a revelation.'

It is my heart, poured directly onto the page, or in this case, into your inbox. Would you like to receive this? Send me a DM and I will add you to the list!

Keep in mind that we have the event on June 13th with limited spots available. It is going to be a lot of fun with a lot of in-depth information and conversation. We would love for you to be part of it. Please sign up via: https://boldandgracious.nl/en/event-l-aparte/.

Lately, I have been feeling a much stronger need for live connection. Even though I receive wonderful responses offline on what I share online, I do miss a sense of connection. A lot of connection is just through a screen. My preference is a space where you can see and speak to each other, and really connect.

That is why I have created something new. Small-scaled, personal, honest, and without judgment. A place where there is room for conversation, growth, and connection. Not only with me, but also with each other.

In addition to this “get together,” I have been wanting to share more of my world in other ways. A place where my audience truly chooses to read my knowledge and expertises. A place with room for depth, knowledge, and another side of the story that you do not always see here.

We have the lovely event scheduled for the 13th of June. There are limited spots available, so please reach out quickly if you are interested

Happy International Dance Day

What if dance was not something to prove, but something to experience?
This is why we are having a sacred space in my Odissi community: Kindness.

As a member of the International Dance Council (CID) I would like to share the official message for the International Dance Day 2026 by CID:

Competition is the heartbeat of sports, but in the arts it is very marginal, which is normal. While athletic excellence is easily measured, artistic merit is notoriously difficult to quantify.

As young dancers increasingly seek titles to distinguish themselves, competitions have proliferated, but unlike strictly regulated sports championships, dance competitions remain unchecked.

Our priority is protecting dancers and the teachers who prepare them. To ensure a "winner" title carries genuine weight, organizers must adhere to universal standards.

The International Dance Council has issued these essential guidelines
- Liability: Full insurance coverage and a legally responsible person must be identified.
- Transparency: Jury members, competitors, and winners must be listed publicly.
- Integrity: Rules must guarantee neutrality and fair play; the organizer should not appoint the jury.
- Fairness: Categories should be based on length of training, not age.
- Validation: No winner should be declared in categories with fewer than 10 competitors.

When competitions are over saturated and titles are handed out too freely, winning loses its value and competing becomes a trap.

As much as performing, teaching, or creating dance should remain totally free, competing should be effectively regulated. This year, Dance Day is dedicated to the urgent regulation of competitions.

Odissi - yoga

Yoga and meditation seem to be “suddenly” everywhere. Popular, marketable, wrapped in aesthetics and sold as tools for self care. As awareness and self reflection become more important in the West, these practices are increasingly commercialised.

But in (ancient) Indian culture and its diaspora, yoga and meditation have always been part of daily life. They are not trends, but traditions. Embedded in culture, philosophy and spirituality. Practices passed down for centuries to cultivate presence, discipline and inner awareness.

Odissi comes from the same source. This classical dance form is often described as meditation in motion. Through rhythm, breath and devotion, the dancer connects body, mind and spirit.

What feels new to some, has always existed.

Key persons in your life

Two weeks ago I received the unexpected and untimely news that one of the key persons of my early path in Odissi, guru and teacher Madhumita Raut, had passed away.

In 1997 I received a scholarship to study Odissi in New Delhi under late guru Mayadhar Raut and his daughter Madhumita Raut. I received intense training three times a day in different groups. Besides the classes, we shared some great moments. Later in life our paths continued in different directions.

But that absence did not erase the past. The memories, the impact she had on a certain period of my life, they are still there, perfectly preserved. She has been a part of my story, a person who taught me about Odissi and art, who gave me many opportunities, who made me laugh, who helped shape the person I became. The lessons and the moments that shaped the trajectory of my early path in Odissi are still vivid. They are a part of my foundation, and that influence remains, even if unseen.

The shocking news of the passing away is the jolt of realizing that every connection carries weight on every path of your life.

My thoughts are with the family and those who held her close. Om Sadgati 🙏🏼

Picture 1: Receiving my Odissi advanced diploma in New Delhi at the Guru Mayadhar Raut School of Odissi Dance in 1998

Picture 2: Guru Madhumita Raut in the Netherlands at the opening of my Odissi Dance School in 1998