Ellora Patnaik (born September 5, 1968) is a Canadian actress of film, stage and television as well as an

Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada, the first child of her parents, Promod and Chitralekha Patnaik; she is seven years older than her brother Devraj Patnaik. Her parents were born in the state of Orissa (now

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sc ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, and immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. Patnaik made numerous trips to India with her family in her youth. Her parents soon moved to Oakville, Ontario, and then to

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, ...

, Ontario, where she attended

M. M. Robinson High School M.M. Robinson High School is a high school located in Burlington, Ontario, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It is administered by the Halton District School Board. There are approx. 1200 students attending MMR with programs addressing all Pathways. F ...

. In 1986, she was selected for training by (late) Padma Vibhushan

Kelucharan Mohapatra Kelucharan Mohapatra (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is ...

, and went to study at the

Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related ar ...

from 1992 to 1994 and was a member of the company in her third year. In 2009, she played Jyoti Mehta, Indie Mehta's mother, in the Canadian television series ''

How to Be Indie ''How to Be Indie'' is a Canadian television sitcom that aired on YTV from 2009 to 2011 and Disney Channel until 2012. The main character is a 13-year-old Indian-Canadian teenager named Indira "Indie" Mehta. The program is a single-camera ser ...

'' on YTV, she filmed another season in 2010.

Career

Film

Television

Odissi dance teacher

Patnaik has taught Odissi dance since the mid-1980s. In the early 1990s, she took over as the executive director of the Chitralekha Dance Academy.

Theatre work

References

External links

*
Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations website
* Chandra, Sarat (undated).

odissi.itgo.com. Retrieved October 10, 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Patnaik, Ellora 1968 births Living people People from Burlington, Ontario People from Oakville, Ontario Actresses from New York City Actresses from Toronto Odia people Canadian actresses of Indian descent American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Canadian female dancers Canadian film actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States Canadian expatriate actresses in India Odissi exponents 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses