Indian Classical Dance Research Articles

Rasabodha: Understanding Indian classical dance by recognizing emotions using deep learning

Understanding human behavior using computer vision techniques for recognizing body posture, gait, hand gesture, and facial expressions has recently witnessed significant research activity. Emotions/affect have a direct correlation with the mental state, as well as intention of a person, based on which his/her present and future states can be understood and predicted. As a case study in this work, we demonstrate the utility of deep learning in understanding videos of Indian classical dance (ICD) forms. ICD comprises hand gestures, body poses and facial expressions enacted by the performer along with the accompanying music and songs/Shlokas. In this work we attempt to decipher the meaning of Navarasas associated with Indian classical dance (ICD). Recognizing these emotions from images/videos of ICD is a challenge due to factors such as ambiguity in the enactment, costume, make-up, clutter, etc. Here, we propose a dataset of various emotions (Navarasas) enacted in ICD comprising RGB images along with associated depth information collected using the Microsoft Kinect sensor. We propose a deep learning framework using convolutional neural networks to understand the semantic meaning associated with videos of ICD by recognizing Navarasas enacted by the performer.

Indian Classical Dance Action Identification and Classification with Convolutional Neural Networks

Extracting and recognizing complex human movements from unconstrained online/offline video sequence is a challenging task in computer vision. This paper proposes the classification of Indian classical dance actions using a powerful artificial intelligence tool: convolutional neural networks (CNN). In this work, human action recognition on Indian classical dance videos is performed on recordings from both offline (controlled recording) and online (live performances, YouTube) data. The offline data is created with ten different subjects performing 200 familiar dance mudras/poses from different Indian classical dance forms under various background environments. The online dance data is collected from YouTube for ten different subjects. Each dance pose is occupied for 60 frames or images in a video in both the cases. CNN training is performed with 8 different sample sizes, each consisting of multiple sets of subjects. The remaining 2 samples are used for testing the trained CNN. Different CNN architectures were designed and tested with our data to obtain a better accuracy in recognition. We achieved a 93.33% recognition rate compared to other classifier models reported on the same dataset.

Kathakali and Motion Capture: An Experimental Dialogue between Indian Classical Dance and Technology

Kathakali and Motion Capture: An Experimental Dialogue between Indian Classical Dance and Technology

Cultures on tour: the roots and routes of a British museum exhibition on Assam

The 2016 British Museum 'Krishna in the Garden of Assam' exhibition was built around a nine-metre textile embellished with Hindu iconography known as the Vrindavani Vastra. As part of the exhibition programming, the museum hosted a 90-minute performance by eleven monks and artistes from northeast India, entitled Vrindavani Paal. This article analyses these two cultural productions - the textile and the dance - in relation to narratives of 'home'. Whilst both are represented as being 'from Assam' by museum narratives and in the literature surrounding Indian classical dance respectively, a close look at their histories and forms reveals a far more complex relationship to this northeast Indian state than is usually acknowledged. Bringing together diaspora theory of Paul Gilroy and James Clifford, and post-colonial dance scholarship by Margaret Walker and Davesh Soneji, the article de-constructs the narratives surrounding these 'Assamese' arts and examines the stories of travel and translation which have produced their current forms.1 It explains how these stories are visibly manifest in the textile and the dance, and questions why such stories are side-lined in favour of originating myths.

Indian classical dance action identification using adaptive graph matching from unconstrained videos

Extracting and recognizing complex human movements from unconstraint online video sequence is a challenging task. In this work the problem becomes complicated by the use of unconstraint video sequences belonging to Indian classical dance forms. A new segmentation model is developed using discrete wavelet transform and local binary pattern features for segmentation. We also explore multiple feature fusion models with early fusion and late fusion techniques for improving the classification process. The extracted features were represented as a graph and a novel adaptive graph matching algorithm is proposed. We test the algorithms on online dance videos and on an Indian classical dance dataset prepared in our lab. The algorithms were tested for accuracy and correctness in identifying the dance postures.

Indian Classical Dance: The Foundational Element in My Practice of Ethnography

Do we really understand how we became practitioners of ethnography?In this talk, I go through a re‐discovery of the links between my lifelong training in Indian classical dance and the elements this has instilled in my current practice of ethnography. In dance, we are trained to keenly observe every physical and emotional nuance of an item. Furthermore, we are taught symbolism and theory to deepen our interpretation of dance. This dance foundation has shaped my connection to every aspect of ethnography: from practice to analysis to presentation.

Indian Classical Dance Mudra Classification Using HOG Features and SVM Classifier

Digital understanding of Indian classical dance is least studied work, though it has been a part of Indian Culture from around 200BC. This work explores the possibilities of recognizing classical dance mudras in various dance forms in India. The images of hand mudras of various classical dances are collected form the internet and a database is created for this job. Histogram of oriented (HOG) features of hand mudras input the classifier. Support vector machine (SVM) classifies the HOG features into mudras as text messages. The mudra recognition frequency (MRF) is calculated for each mudra using graphical user interface (GUI) developed from the model. Popular feature vectors such as SIFT, SURF, LBP and HAAR are tested against HOG for precision and swiftness. This work helps new learners and dance enthusiastic people to learn and understand dance forms and related information on their mobile devices.

Analysis of Biomechanical Factors and Application of Rehabilitation Principles in the Comprehensive Management of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in a 14-Year-Old Female Dancer of the Indian Classical Dance Form Known as Bharatanatyam: A Case Report

Analysis of Biomechanical Factors and Application of Rehabilitation Principles in the Comprehensive Management of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in a 14-Year-Old Female Dancer of the Indian Classical Dance Form Known as Bharatanatyam: A Case Report

Psychological Well-Being and Self-Esteem: A Study on Indian Classical Dancers

The aim of the present study was to compare the psychological well being and self esteem between the Indian classical dancers and non dancers. 40 Indian classical dancers and non dancers were selected using purposive sampling technique from various dance institutes. Ryff's psychological well being scale(1989) and Rosenberg's self esteem scale (1965) was used as tools for the study. The results reveal that the domains environmental mastery, personal growth, personal relations and self acceptance and autonomy of psychological well being are comparatively better in the Indian classical dancers than in the non dancers. Not only this, the Indian classical dancers showed higher level of self esteem than the non dancers. The findings of the present study can help to spread awareness of the positive impact of Indian classical dances on body as well as mind and to be more attuned to oneself.

Hay’s Buddhist philosophy of gestural language

ABSTRACTThe central role of gestural language in Buddhism is widely acknowledged, as in the story of the Buddha pointing at the moon, the point being the student’s seeing beyond the finger (as object) to its gesture (as act). Gesture’s role in dance is similarly central, as noted by scholars in the emerging interdisciplinary field of dance studies. Unsurprisingly, then, the intersection of these two fields is well-populated, including the formal gestures (called “mudras”) Buddhism inherited from classical Indian dance, and the masked dance of the Mani Rimdu Festival. In this investigation, I will articulate a new Buddhist philosophy of gestural language, based on a new conception of emptiness that I locate in the work of contemporary U.S. choreographer Deborah Hay, as influenced by Nāgārjuna and Zen. And this, finally, suggests that contemporary Western philosophy should incorporate this compassion as a normative dimension to its own theorizing and practice.

Homeland as Beloved: Translating viraha for (post)colonial contexts

Abstract This article discusses how Pallabi Chakravorty’s Asunder and Cynthia Ling Lee’s fish hook tongue, two contemporary works by kathak-trained choreographers, intervene in the nationalist discourse surrounding classical Indian dance by translating the aesthetic concept of viraha for politicized (post)colonial contexts. The two works refuse to perform Indian nationalist representations of kathak that uphold respectable Hindu femininity imbued with the Orientalist weight of timeless, immutable ‘tradition’. Instead, Asunder and fish hook tongue depart from classical practice and Indian nationalist representations of kathak by replacing the traditional Beloved of kathak abhinaya with a new love object: the troubled, (post)colonial homeland. I draw on Svetlana Boym’s theorizations of nostalgia to argue that these two works, which are grounded in critical histories rather than timeless myth, reimagine viraha as critical reflective nostalgia, as the impossible longing of a diasporic subject for union with a broken homeland. Asunder addresses the Partition of India by evoking longing for an undivided India that interweaves Muslim and Hindu influences, while fish hook tongue re-territorializes and reconfigures viraha as the visceral longing to speak one’s mother tongue of Taiwanese against the silencing forces of colonization and assimilation.

The Spiritual Form of Ancient Art and Culture - Bharatanatyam (Visual Art) Depicted Using Unique Techniques on Scratchboard (Fine Art) Medium

<p>The most ancient form of dance that is prevailing todays is a form of classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam. In Sanskrit (and Devanagri), bharatanatyam means "Indian dance", is believed to have divine origin and is of the most ancient form of classical dance. Bharatanatyam is a two thousand-year-old dance form, originally practiced in the temples of ancient India. The art today remains purely devotional even today and this performing art is yet to gain awareness and interest in the western world. This dance form has various implications in improving the higher order thinking in children and provides health benefits in adults apart from cultural preservation. The current study uses scratchboard as a medium to display the artistic movements and emotions. Scratchboard, a fine art is one means by which the visual art is expressed in this current study using sharp tools, namely X-acto 11 scalpel and tattoo needles. This unique medium made up of a masonite hardboard coated with soft clay and Indian ink has been used to not only show the details of the ancient dance form and expression but also to comprehend and transcribe both visual art and fine art. It is for the first time that scratchboard medium has been the innovatively used to show various textures of flower, glistening gold jewels, hand woven silk and the divine expression in the same art ‘devotion’. The current study was carried out in-order to perpetuate, conserve and disseminate these classic forms of visual art and fine art.</p>

Indian Classical Dance Classification with Adaboost Multiclass Classifier on Multifeature Fusion

Extracting and recognizing complex human movements from unconstraint online video sequence is an interesting task. In this paper the complicated problem from the class is approached using unconstraint video sequences belonging to Indian classical dance forms. A new segmentation model is developed using discrete wavelet transform and local binary pattern (LBP) features for segmentation. A 2D point cloud is created from the local human shape changes in subsequent video frames. The classifier is fed with 5 types of features calculated from Zernike moments, Hu moments, shape signature, LBP features, and Haar features. We also explore multiple feature fusion models with early fusion during segmentation stage and late fusion after segmentation for improving the classification process. The extracted features input the Adaboost multiclass classifier with labels from the corresponding song (tala). We test the classifier on online dance videos and on an Indian classical dance dataset prepared in our lab. The algorithms were tested for accuracy and correctness in identifying the dance postures.

Gender and Ethnicity in Indian Classical Dance in Malaysia

Indian classical dances, such as bharata natyam and odissi , are represented by multiethnic dancers in Malaysia, with“star”dancers being predominantly men. Following a short historical genealogy of Indian dances in Malaysia, this paper focuses on Ramli Ibrahim, the world-renowned practitioner of odissi and bharata natyam and his first widely toured dance production, Spellbound Odissi Live! This paper examines how a Malay-Muslim male practitioner transcends ethnic and religious boundaries in an increasingly Islamic state to rise as one of the foremost advocates of classical Indian dance forms, namely odissi in Malaysia. An intersection between dance, gender, and ethnicity offer insights to the intriguing visibility of Indian dances in Malaysia, and its success at generating international presence and professional networks.

Move in Time: Male Dancers of Indian Classical Dance in Malaysia

Move in Time: Male Dancers of Indian Classical Dance in Malaysia

Anatomical Drawing of Lower Limb Musculature Involved in the Eccentric Stances of Bharatanatyam: A Theoretical Aid

Bharatanatyam is a culturally rich Indian classical dance form that involves rhythmic and repetitive dance movements requiring speed and precision. Though lower extremity electrodiagnostic studies have been reported largely across studies involving ballet, there exists lack of knowledge about movement anatomy in Bharatanatyam dancers. As in other dance forms, lower extremity are the essential pillar in Bharatanatyam, hence this paper presents anatomical drawing of lower limb musculature involved in the three basic stances of Bharatanatyam, namely Samapadam (Standing), Aramandi (half-seated) and Mandi (seated), and communicate the various muscle action involved in these stances, based on personal experience and published literature in ballet, thereby creating a dynamic map forming theoretical basis that would aid in easy and better understanding of lower limb movement anatomy amidst Bharatanatyam dancers and those involved in their medical care.

Bharatanatyam in New Zealand: A story of dance, diaspora and cultural change

Experiences of migration or diaspora has led to new predicaments for maintaining dance traditions (Ahmed, 2013; Brooks & Meglin, 2011). Current research is exploring how migrants learn to inhabit these new geo-political spaces. This paper will serve as a springboard for investigating how classical Indian dance forms such as Bharatanatyam plays a role in enhancing Indian identity in New Zealand. The study employs a combination of dance ethnography and autoethnography as methodologies for examining how this dance is being practiced in the South Pacific city of Dunedin.

Practice and Pedagogy of Indian Classical Dance (ICD): Analysis in Comparison with India’s Folk and Bollywood Dances

Practice and Pedagogy of Indian Classical Dance (ICD): Analysis in Comparison with India’s Folk and Bollywood Dances

Nrityabodha: Towards understanding Indian classical dance using a deep learning approach

Indian classical dance has existed since over 5000 years and is widely practised and performed all over the world. However, the semantic meaning of the dance gestures and body postures as well as the intricate steps accompanied by music and recital of poems is only understood fully by the connoisseur. The common masses who watch a concert rarely appreciate or understand the ideas conveyed by the dancer. Can machine learning algorithms aid a novice to understand the semantic intricacies being expertly conveyed by the dancer? In this work, we aim to address this highly challenging problem and propose deep learning based algorithms to identify body postures and hand gestures in order to comprehend the intended meaning of the dance performance. Specifically, we propose a convolutional neural network and validate its performance on standard datasets for poses and hand gestures as well as on constrained and real-world datasets of classical dance. We use transfer learning to show that the pre-trained deep networks can reduce the time taken during training and also improve accuracy. Interestingly, we show with experiments performed using Kinect in constrained laboratory settings and data from Youtube that it is possible to identify body poses and hand gestures of the performer to understand the semantic meaning of the enacted dance piece.

Dancing in-between spaces: an auto-ethnographic exploration of an abhinaya class

The questions that this paper poses are placed at the intersection of a Liberal Arts approach to education and the pedagogy of traditional Indian dance forms. These questions are explored through my ongoing pedagogical experiment with teaching the art of abhinaya in the university classroom. This paper charts the journey of exploring what the technique of abhinaya means. How is it generated? Where does an individual find agency and voice within the discipline of a classical Indian dance form? Here abhinaya is generated through a toolbox of methods, which allows students to access their own perceptions and understandings and structure them in ways which can be communicated. Building upon their embodied knowledge, students create multiple layers of meaning, moving from the obvious depictions to abstract forms; a process that forms the bedrock of traditional abhinaya technique. Learning in the class is driven neither by the teacher nor the curriculum, but rather by the student. In its approach, this class cuts across disciplinary boundaries and creates new frictions and relations in the class. It challenges the authority of the teacher and redefines the relationship between the teacher and the taught and what constitutes legitimate knowledge in a given discipline.