With nearly two decades of classical dance training, more than 225 stage performances and 14 screen productions, Rodali Bora has built a multidisciplinary artistic career spanning dance, cinema, filmmaking and education.
An Assamese jiyori now based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Bora has built her artistic journey around Sattriya, Bihu, cinema and storytelling. For her, dance is more than performance; it is a means of expressing identity, preserving cultural roots and sharing Assam’s heritage with audiences beyond the state.
Bora began learning Bihu at the age of two and a half under Guru Ranjit Gogoi. She later trained extensively in Sattriya under gurus Ranjumoni Saikia, Rinjumoni Saikia and Dhruba Jyoti Pathak.
Nearly 20 years of training have strengthened her command of nritya, abhinaya, devotional storytelling, and repertoires associated with Chali and Jhumura.
She has so far completed more than 225 stage performances across India and the United Kingdom. A Doordarshan B-grade Sattriya artist, Bora was also awarded the CCRT National Junior Scholarship in Sattriya by the Ministry of Culture.
Between 2017 and 2025, she contributed to cultural education by promoting Sattriya and Bihu in India and abroad. She also participated in CCRT showcases and workshops featuring Sattriya alongside India’s other classical dance forms.
Originating in the Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam, Sattriya is one of India’s eight classical dance forms. Bora’s work seeks to introduce the tradition to international audiences while also showcasing Bihu, Assam’s prominent folk tradition.
Taking Sattriya to the UK
Bora’s artistic journey in the United Kingdom gained momentum in 2026.
In February, she presented Sattriya and Bihu during ICCR Day celebrations at the Consulate General of India in Birmingham. She also performed Bihu at the High Commission of India in London as part of a State and Language Day celebration.
In June, Bora performed Sattriya during a cultural programme connected with a seminar at the UK Parliament held during the visit of Auniati Satra Satradhikar Pitambar Dev Goswami.
Another significant appearance came at Nritya Sangam at The Nehru Centre in London, where she opened the programme with a Krishna Vandana and presented Sattriya as part of a Kathak-Sattriya confluence before a full-house audience.
The performance also marked a return to the venue for Bora, who had first visited The Nehru Centre as a young artist in 2013. Years later, she returned as a featured performer, this time representing Assam on the same platform.
Her work was further recognised at Samarpana 2026 in Birmingham, where Deekshaa Arts presented her with the Youth Icon Award for her achievements in dance and performance.
Bora had earlier represented Assam through a Bihu performance at the 2023 G20 Summit in Delhi.
National and international platforms
The year 2025 brought several major cultural appearances for Bora.
Alongside another artiste, she performed Sattriya at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha. She also performed at the WOFA World Forum at the Yashobhoomi Centre in New Delhi, introducing Sattriya to a diverse audience.
That year, she performed at a Women’s Day programme attended by President Droupadi Murmu and participated in a cultural programme marking Bharat Bhavan’s 43rd anniversary in Madhya Pradesh. The event was attended by guests including Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi.
In November 2025, Sampad selected Bora to perform at Ujala — An Evening of Indian Classical Dance at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham. Her Sattriya performance was presented alongside Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Yakshagana before a British audience.
Bora’s association with major cultural platforms also includes an Assam Day performance of Sattriya and Bihu at the 2018 India International Trade Fair at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
In 2024, she performed Bihu before an audience of 4,000 at the 7th Northeast Fest.
Her early performance history includes a cultural programme connected with the 2012 London Olympics, a Titanic centenary commemoration in 2013 and an International Fellowship Day performance before the Governor of Assam in 2016.
Early milestone in Bhupen Hazarika tribute
One of Bora’s formative milestones came in 2009, when she appeared in a one-hour televised production celebrating the music of Bhupen Hazarika.
The production was conceived through the vision of senior journalist Jitumoni Bora and Rosy Bora and brought together her gurus for a classical-fusion interpretation of Hazarika’s compositions.
Telecast on NE TV, the programme was watched by Hazarika from Mumbai, from where he sent his appreciation and blessings.
From child artist to filmmaker
Bora’s career in Assamese cinema began when she was four years old, when she played Mini in the telefilm Kabuliwala.
Since then, she has appeared in 14 screen productions, working with actors and directors from the Assamese film industry.
Her performance in Brahmakanya: The Colour of Hope earned her an international Best Actress honour at the 2023 Campinas Film Festival in Brazil.
She also received regional Best Child Actress awards for her roles in Surjasta, Seema: The Story Untold and Phehujali.
In 2025, her performance in Burkha: The Veil earned Best Actress honours at film festivals in Ahmedabad and Durgapur, as well as at the 8th Shaildhar Baruah Film Awards (NE), where she competed against talent from across Northeast India.
Bora also appeared in Ronuwa: Who Never Surrenders, which received a National Film Award and the Rajat Kamal in 2021.
Her interest in visual storytelling later took her behind the camera. While studying Film and Television Production at Sharda University, she directed the short film Bhram: An Illusion, which won a Best Director award at an international film festival in 2024.
She completed her undergraduate studies with the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal in recognition of her academic achievements.
Bora later moved to Birmingham for postgraduate studies in Mass Media at the University of Birmingham.
Her multidisciplinary experience also includes radio acting and presenting with 92.7 BIG FM, stage hosting, filmmaking and painting. She has also played lawn tennis for 16 years.
From a child artist in Assam to a multidisciplinary performer in the United Kingdom, Bora’s career spans dance, acting, filmmaking and education, with Sattriya and Bihu remaining central to her artistic identity.
Her stated aim is to take Sattriya to a wider international audience, build meaningful collaborations and increase the visibility of the classical tradition. Through her work in Britain, Bora continues to connect her artistic journey with the cultural traditions of Assam.