Traditional Challenges, Challenging Tradition: Helping Students Find Agency in Bharata-Natyam at the Junction of Ancient Indian Thought, Somatic Practices & Feminist Pedagogy

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the expanded possibilities of Bharata-Natyam education in the United States (US) based on a reflective practice in my dance over the past thirty years. This has given rise to an epistemological investigation into the seeming dichotomy of tradition and agency and has percolated into a set of questions, especially salient in my role as a teacher to Bharata-Natyam students in the diaspora. The complexities of the student’s identity also warrant an investigation into the hidden curriculum of Bharata-Natyam. The investigation comprises three phenomenological experiences designed for my students. These experiences embrace the common principles of ancient Indian, somatic, and feminist pedagogies and are supported by my foundation in Bharata-Nrityam. The results provide further impetus to pursue the process of engendering agency in the student’s training, the application of Bharata-Natyam to the student’s lived experiences, and conscious engagement in the community beyond the Indian diaspora. The results further call attention to the importance of how dance educators and guides view Bharata-Natyam students’ performances in the US.