Padmashri Ileana Citaristi hails from Italy and holds a doctorate in psychoanalysis and eastern mythology. She came to India in 1978 and has stayed in Orissa ever since, in close contact with the people, their language and culture. She learned the Odissi dance style from renowned Guru Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra. She had also had training in the Mayurbhanji style of Chhau (a dance form combining martial, ritual and folk vocabulary and most popular in the Indian states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa) under Guru Sri Hari Nayak, obtaining the title of „Acharya‟ from the Sangeet Mahavidyalya of Bhubaneswar in Orissa.
She has given innumerable performances and lecture demonstrations in all the major centers in India, and over 500 performances abroad. Her contributions also include articles on Oriya culture published in Indian and foreign magazines and research work for film-documentaries on Odissi and Chhau dances. She is also an accomplished choreographer. In 1996 she won the „National Award for best choreography‟ for her dance direction to the Bengali film „Yugant‟.
Ileana has been awarded the prestigious title „Leonide Massine for the art of dance‟ in Italy and the „Raseshwar‟ award by the Sur Singar Sansad. In 2006, she was awarded the title of Padmashri from Government of India for her contribution to Odissi Dance.