Ellora Patnaik

Ellora Patnaik was born on 5th September 1968 in Toronto, Canada. She is a Canadian actress in film, stage, and television and a brilliant Odissi dancer. She completed her schooling from M.M.Robinson High School, Canada. She is the first-born child of her family, her father Pramod Patnaik, and her mother Chitralekha Patnaik. She is 7 years older than her brother, Devraj Patnaik. Patnaik’s mother is a renowned Odissi Indian classical dancer from the state of Utkal. Her mother was the first Guru who taught her classical dance. She has performed in various countries like India, Canada, United States and Europe and is recognized as the most excellent Odissi dancer all over the world. She also attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was company member in her third year. Patnaik has a great history in dance; she has received training from notables such as (late) Padma Shri Pankaj Charan Das, Padma Shri Gangadhar Pradhan, Padmashri Sanjukta Panigrahi, and many more.

She also took over as executive director of the Chitralekha Dance Academy. She has starred in many films such as Daiba Daudi (1989), Standing on My Knees, Say Goodnite Gracie, Nagamandala and My Own Country (1997), and Tapish (1999) are some of her significant memorable experiences and she, was also a regular cast member of YTV’s How to be Indie (2009-2011). Ellora received Kalashri Award from the Orissa Society of America for her cultural ambassadorship and for promoting Oriya Culture through Odissi Dance in North America. In 2005, she made Odissi history by performing the World Premiere of the 31-minute solo Abhinaya, Shiva Naba Rasa. In 2009, She choreographed and performed ‘Timescape’ with her brother Devraj Patnaik. In 2012 she performed at the Konark Dance and Music Festival of India. Ellora Patnaik was featured in many remarkable outstanding performances in films like Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018), Kitty Mammas (2020), Too Close to Christmas (2020), and One Small Visit (2021) which made a remarkable progress towards her career.