The Evolving Prospects of Bharatanatyam: An Enquiry on Changing Religious Landscape

Title

The Evolving Prospects of Bharatanatyam: An Enquiry on Changing Religious Landscape

Creator

Balaji K.V.; Garai S.; Choolayil A.C.

Description

As cultural boundaries expand, symbols of cultural identity, like dance forms, evolve in terms of content and practice. Bharatanatyam, originally a temple dance, originated in the Hindu culture and had long been considered a religious art. However, the art form has gradually expanded its scope beyond its religious context. Contemporary evidence suggests that artists increasingly engage in performances addressing themes that are secular and even compositions based on other religious beliefs, but not without challenges. This article brings to light the evolving religious aspects of Bharatanatyam and investigates novel elements being introduced by cross-religious practices, such as thematic innovations, choreographic patterns and symbolic representations. By analysing data from in-depth interviews with twenty artists from diverse religious backgrounds, the authors argue that religious conservatism in society hinders the evolution of art forms such as Bharatanatyam that have the potential to adapt across and beyond religions. Edinburgh University Press.

Source

Dance Research, Vol-42, No. 2, pp. 200-219.

Date

2024-01-01

Publisher

Edinburgh University Press

Subject

Art; Bharatanatyam; Choreography; Dance; Evolution; Religion

Coverage

Balaji K.V., Christ University, Bangalore, India; Garai S., Christ University, Bangalore, India; Choolayil A.C., Central University of Kerala, Kasargod, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 2642875

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.3366/drs.2024.0431

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85208608146&doi=10.3366%2fdrs.2024.0431&partnerID=40&md5=5ca377db07ac44e98672d0f9558dbe6b