Arushi Mudgal is one of the foremost young talents in the field of Odissi today, known for her technical virtuosity and creative approach to tradition. She has trained under her aunt and Guru Smt. Madhavi Mudgal at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi. Arushi has also had the opportunity of seeking guidance from great maestros and dancers like Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Smt. Leela Samson, and Smt. Priyadarshini Govind, which has further enriched her approach to the arts.
Arushi tours extensively as a soloist performing at various prestigious festivals within India and abroad. She has performed at some of the finest theatres of France like Theatre de la Ville, Musee Guimet, Cite de la Musique and Maison de la Danse, among others. She has also given successful performances at respected festivals in USA, UK, Europe, Malaysia and Singapore. Some of her significant performances in India include ones at Nishagandhi Festival Trivandrum, the Music Academy, Karthik Fine Arts, Brahma Gana Sabha Chennai, N.C.P.A. Mumbai, and Sangeet Natak Akademis Yuva Puraskar Festival Delhi.
In 2008, Arushi was invited by the famous dancer-choreographer Pina Bausch of Wuppertal Tanztheater to perform at the Internationales Tanz Festival in Dusseldorf, Germany. Her choreographic quest has led Arushi to explore plural areas of creativity, from traditional to contemporary. Her recent collaborative projects include Haveli, a production with musicians of Indian and Western genres, an opera called Orfeo - Crossing the Ganges, Sam?gat with Kathak dancer Monisa Nayak, Swadesh with Mythili Prakash and Monisa Nayak, presented in the UK, and Sama, a contemporary work with Roland Auzet, a French percussionist which was premiered in May 2014 at the famous Steps Festival of Switzerland, and continues to tour in France.
Arushi has co-authored a book on aesthetics of Odissi with the senior scholar and aesthetician Professor S.K. Saxena. A graded artiste of Doordarshan, she is empanelled with the I.C.C.R. She has conducted dance workshops in various cities of France, USA, United Kingdom and Singapore, and is a regular performer for SPICMACAY.
For her contribution in the field of Odissi dance, Arushi has been presented with various awards including Sangeet Natak Akademis prestigious national award - Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2011), the Young Women Achievers Award by YFLO - FICCI (2011), the Chitra Kala Sangam Samman (2010), the Sanatan Nritya Puraskar (2006), the Indian Presidents Bal Shree Award (2003), the Original Mind Award (2003) and the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award (2014).
