When Lillian Warrum first encountered the classical Indian dance form of Odissi, she was on a soul-searching journey in India, fresh from leaving behind her ballet practice.
“When I was four, I said to my mum ‘I want to do ballet’,” the American dancer recalls. The California native moved from the US to Queensland in Australia at age 8.
“I learned ballet till I turned 15, but then became disenchanted with the amount of competition and constant focus on body image that the dance required. I still think ballet is beautiful, but it is not my dance.”
Cut to the year 2011, when a 22-year-old Warrum was travelling in India. “I was still searching for a new dance form, but wasn’t sure what was right for me,” she remembers.
This was when a chance encounter and a spontaneous choice to join dance classes in the picturesque hills of Bhagsu in Himachal Pradesh, led Warrum to Odissi.
“I started training under the tutelage of Saroj Dehury, a very sweet Oriya man who played the mardala in a small studio.”
The profound beats of the mardala, an Indian percussion instrument traditionally used in this ancient art form, captivated Warrum.
“When I first saw a Jagganath Mangalacharan (invocation to Lord Jagganath), I was absolutely in awe of the dance. It was of course the beautiful melodies and rhythms that I was drawn to, but I was amazed by the depth of meaning that the dance conveyed. The stories and the deeper spiritual essence of the dance really spoke to my soul more than any other dance has ever done.”
In a nutshell, Lillian Warrum did not find Odissi, rather Odissi found her!
For the love of God
In Odissi, ancient stories are brought to life through a rich language of movements, gestures, and expressions. This dance style, which originated in Odisha, is deeply rooted in mythological stories of Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, and Lord Jagannath.
Warrum’s favourite story to perform is Dashavatar composed by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.
“The text of this item is taken from the Gita Govinda, Jayadeva’s 12th century poem about the love between Krishna and Radha. I adore the beauty with which the item has been composed and the veneration of Lord Vishnu in all his Avataras,” she tells Indian Link.
Warrum learned the danceform for about a year in India and wanted to master it further. So in 2012, she moved to Melbourne to train under expert dancer Monica Singh Sangwan.
“The style I learnt in India was slightly different and Monicaji trained me in the style of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. I spent my Wednesdays and Saturdays of the week learning from her. She was there every week without fail and kept teaching dance after dance with the utmost of integrity (she still does!).”
Monica Sangwan also provided Warrum opportunities to perform and teach as an assistant in her Melbourne school, Sohamasmi Centre for Performing Arts.
“Monicaji also guided me to becoming an Odissi solo dancer and a dance teacher. She showed me how the dance is to be respected, how to love the artform and do everything with integrity and wholeness. There is of course still much more to know and learn ahead of me. But I am eternally grateful to her.”
Today, Warrum, a mother of a three-year-old daughter, teaches Odissi in Sunshine Coast, where most of her family lives.
Aaja Nachle!
For Lillian Warrum, Odissi is more than dance—it’s a journey of self-discovery and cultural immersion, one that she continues with joy and a profound sense of purpose.
Initially though, there were plenty challenges.
“A lot of the challenges I faced while learning the movements related to the music as the rhythms are much more complicated than in Western classical music,” she confesses. “You have 5, 7 and 9 beats to contend with instead of just 2, 3 and 4 beat rhythms. I had to train my ear to hear these different rhythms. The discipline it requires to learn Odissi is similar to the rigour of ballet.”
So, although learning Odissi was challenging at the beginning, all it took was practice and determination in overcoming them.
So far, Warrum has performed in different countries including Australia, India and South Africa. Notably, she performed at The Magic Hour, a 2016 production about duality of self and the effects of colonisation. Incorporating elements of Shakespeare and Kathakali, it was helmed by the versatile Dr Arjun Raina, known for his skills as a playwright, performer, and Kathakali dancer.
The show toured various locations in Victoria, but the performances in the quiet, small towns of Taradale and Chewton left a particularly lasting impression on her.
“These venues had a small audience, which is quite perfect for sharing Indian classical dance, as one can connect more with the viewers and the viewers can see more of the intricacies of the dance,” she explains.
Warrum performed a Shiva Tandava Mangalacharan and Moksha as part of the production.
“I remember the audience was so wonderfully captivated by the dances. It takes a sensitive audience to really appreciate the magic and beauty of Indian classical dance,” she shares, grateful for the moments of cultural exchange etched into her memory from these performances.
Lillian Warrum hopes to see Odissi gaining more recognition and appreciation in the global arts landscape.
“I see and feel that as a society we need dance that provides meaning and enriches our lives at every level – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual,” she says. “There is a need for classical art forms, as they provide stability for people in times which feel very disconnected socially, culturally and spiritually. Dance tends to transcend all barriers between people, and so globally, people from all different cultures, like myself, are drawn to these art forms to feel a sense of connection with one’s own self and the greater whole.”
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