Odissi

As Indian classical dancers go online in lockdown, an initiation of critical dialogue on the insularity of their craft

The pandemic has shown that it can subvert the long-held narratives around the practice of classical dances, to have a critical self-reflective voice, which has remained largely absent thus far.

To fill vital gaps in dance education, three educators address how a more critical practice could be achieved

The designers of Performance Practice (Dance), a Master's programme at the Ambedkar University, Delhi, have decided that it must neither be heavy on text or theory, nor should it focus on one specific form. It also encourages students to become the agents of their own learning, unlike more traditional one-on-one relationships with teachers, which tend to seep into the students' personal lives

At a time of nationwide protests, India's classical artists are missing a culture of dissent, and this needs fixing

An absent culture of dissent is not a new feature in classical dance, given that the relationship of classical dancers with the society is heavily mediated by the state’s cultural machinery. As societies from across the world are leaning on their youth for leading the fight for a better tomorrow, there might be no better moment than now for the classical dances to reflect on what an education in classical dance is truly meant to serve.

How the guru-shishya parampara of Indian classical dance is navigated within a household

Explaining the absolute surrender demanded of the guru-shishya parampara, Vyjayanthi Kashi says that as a six-year-old student learning under a 40-year-old guru, she was strongly discouraged from complaining about him, everything he said about dance was the ultimate

Odissi on High: A transnational production displays the dance form's synergy between male and female elements

Odissi is a young dance form, though it has assimilated and is born of ancient temple dance traditions, music, poetry, and devotion to Jagannatha. At a recent performance of Odissi on High, an all-male ensemble achieved striking masculine vigour with quintessential movements – movements that only easily lend themselves to execution with feminine grace.

Classical dance in the here and now: Can it accommodate a new generation of artists trying to find their own voice?

Just like the Constitution, how can classical dance respond to society, accommodating the ways in which artists derive new meanings from it?

Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018: Sonal Mansingh's troupe, Radha and Raja Reddy to perform

Lovers of Indian classical dance will be treated to a feast of Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi recitals at the Khajuraho Dance Festival this year | #FirstCulture

An Odissi performance at JNU raises questions about upper-caste cultural appropriation

Krittika Mondal's recent Odissi rendition at JNU was remarkable for what it left out

The ten best covers of Ed Sheeran's 'Shape Of You' you should listen to

From a dentist singing about cavities to a rendition in the voice of Peter Griffin, here are the ten best covers of Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You.

Dance, drama: Ranjana Gauhar's 'Nal-Damyanti' blends the classical, contemporary

Padma Shri Ranjana Gauhar on mingling Odissi and Chhau dance styles for her dance-drama Nal-Damyanti and bringing a contemporary approach to classical dance