Contemporary Indian dance

the long version

Contemporary Indian Dance delineates a new language of dance - multi-layered and multi-vocal - in India and the diaspora. This language unfolds at the intersection of classical Indian dance forms with yoga, pan-Asian dance and martial arts traditions as well as modern and€postmodern dance, and theatrical tools that result in hybrid dance creations. Cutting-edge themes - ethnicity, gender and sexuality - are inspired by artists' geographical locations in the global North or South. This study is grounded historically (the revival of Indian dance in early 20th century), and examines€today's phenomena of globalization and diaspora that impact artists in India and worldwide. It includes creative choreography (with over 30 images) from selected artists and€pioneers that has impact and reverberates in 'an ancestry of gesture' in the work of emerging choreographers. An interdisciplinary and comparative approach makes visible inter-connections among artists in sites as distant and disparate€as Toronto to Chennai, and London to Los Angeles.