Elena Catalano

Elena Catalano is the founder and artistic director of Bhumi, the first Odissi Dance Academy in the UK, established in London in 2017. She trained extensively in India at Srjan, Bhubaneswar, under Sujata and Ratikant Mohapatra, and also studied in New Delhi under an ICCR scholarship, attending intensive workshops with senior artists including Madhavi Mudgal and Ileana Citaristi. Elena completed her PhD at Durham University with research on Odissi training and the embodiment of values, and currently works as a dance lecturer at Kingston University, teaching Odissi technique, yoga, dance anthropology, and research methods. In October 2017 she received the Yuva Nritya Ratna (Young Dancer of the Year) award, and she is recognised as one of the leading Odissi dancers in the UK.