Known for her refined sensibility and subtlety, and for perfection in stagecraft and presentation, Madhavi Mudgal has contributed a distinctive flavour to Odissi dance. She has performed at various national and international dance festivals and has choreographed and presented several productions with the Odissi group of Gnadharva Mahavidyalaya, receiving acclaim from connoisseurs. She is also a notable teacher of Odissi dance. Committed to the promotion of the art, she organized the Angahar dance festival in 1985 – the first festival of Odissi dance bringing together all the major gurus, dancers, dance groups and scholars involved in the revival of the art.

She has been honoured for her work with the Sanskriti Award (1984), the Padma Shri (1990) and the Orissa Sangeet natak Akademi Award (1995).