An earlier Gotipua performance

What starts as rhythmic footwork to traditional beats by a group of dancers seamlessly transitions into an acrobatic spectacle. The youngest member does a full split while others line up behind him with aesthetic variants of the split. Next, the dancers contort their bodies to get into formations that remind one of the daredevil displays by army motorcyclists on Republic Day parades. The difference is, the former is perfected in the villages of Odisha, where it has been performed for centuries. Gotipua, a traditional dance from the eastern state and the precursor to Odissi, is a dying art form.