| The
gotipua dance tradition came into being in the 16th century. Young
boys dressed in female garb danced for audiences. The classical Orissi
dance today developed from this gotipua tradition. Young gotipua dancers
in training at the Konarak Natya Mandap performed for 24 Evergreen
students from the "Dance & Culture" program in April,
2000. These gotipuas are performing the acrobatic "bandha"
dances.
The goti puas are boy dancers who dress up as girls.
They are the students of the akhadas, or gymnasia, established by
Ramachandradeva in Puri, in the periphery of the temple. As they
were offshoots of the akhada system, goti puas also came to be known
as akhada pilas - boys attached to akhadas.
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