Who became the first dancer of foreign origin to be conferred the Padma Shri, in 2006?

Explanation

Ileana Citaristi, an Italian-born dancer of Odissi and Chhau, received the Padma Shri in 2006. She was the first dancer of foreign origin to receive this honour.

Ileana Citaristi was born in 1946 in Bergamo, Italy. She studied philosophy and worked in experimental theatre in Europe before coming to India in 1979. She trained in Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and in Mayurbhanj Chhau under Guru Hari Nayak, and she made Bhubaneswar her home. In 1996, she founded the Art Vision academy in Bhubaneswar, where she teaches and creates new works that combine Odissi and Chhau with other forms of dance and theatre. She has choreographed many productions and has also worked in films. She won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the Bengali film "Yugant" (1995), directed by Aparna Sen. She has written books, including a biography of her guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Her work has helped bring Odissi and Chhau to audiences in many countries.

Several other dancers of foreign origin have been honoured for their contribution to Indian dance. Milena Salvini, also born in Italy, received the Padma Shri in 2019 for her work in introducing Kathakali and other Indian dance forms in France, where she founded the Centre Mandapa in Paris. Sharon Lowen, born in the United States, has lived in India since the 1970s and is known for Odissi, Manipuri and Chhau. Louise Lightfoot, from Australia, is remembered as the "Australian mother of Kathakali".

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sharon Lowen is an American-born Odissi dancer living in India.
• ✗Milena Salvini is an Italian-born dancer who received the Padma Shri in 2019, after Ileana Citaristi.
• ✗Louise Lightfoot was an Australian dancer who introduced Kathakali to Western audiences in the 1930s.