Odissi (or Orissi) is the traditional style of dance which originated in the temples of the state of Orissa in Eastern India, where it was performed by the devdasis. It is one of the oldest surviving forms of dance, with depictions of Odissi dancing dating back as far as the 1st century BC.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, dancer and teacher, was one of the most popular proponents of Odissi.
Orissi is a form that tells stories, with specific meanings assigned to gestures and movements; they can be put together to make a larger story.
In the case of Orissi, the English thought that the dances were obscene and that the dancers were as well.
Orissi was initially a temple dance done in the temple of Jaganath (you can see how much the British loved their new conquest, by knowing that the god is the root of the word "juggernaut".) by the women who were the wives of the god-king.
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