Parul Shah

Open, Component—Spring

DNCE 5569

This course will introduce students to the North Indian classical dance form Kathak while providing a broader understanding of Indian classical dance traditions. Through the physical study of Kathak repertoire, students will engage in an embodied exploration of the form’s technique, aesthetics, and expressive language. The course will situate Indian classical dance within its historical and cultural contexts, examining how gender and caste hierarchies, nationalist movements, and social histories have shaped these traditions. It also will examine Indian classical dance through a contemporary framework, exploring how these traditions continue to evolve and generate new forms of expression.

Through readings, videos, and discussion, students will analyze Indian classical dance in India and the diaspora through a critical cultural lens to develop informed perspectives. The course will culminate in a creative multimodal project in which students draw on their understanding of Kathak and Indian dance aesthetics to create movement-based work that reflects their own perspectives.

Faculty

Parul Shah

Component—Spring

DNCE 5569

This course will introduce students to the North Indian classical dance form Kathak while providing a broader understanding of Indian classical dance traditions. Through the physical study of Kathak repertoire, students will engage in an embodied exploration of the form’s technique, aesthetics, and expressive language. The course will situate Indian classical dance within its historical and cultural contexts, examining how gender and caste hierarchies, nationalist movements, and social histories have shaped these traditions. It also will examine Indian classical dance through a contemporary framework, exploring how these traditions continue to evolve and generate new forms of expression.

Through readings, videos, and discussion, students will analyze Indian classical dance in India and the diaspora through a critical cultural lens to develop informed perspectives. The course will culminate in a creative multimodal project in which students draw on their understanding of Kathak and Indian dance aesthetics to create movement-based work that reflects their own perspectives.

Faculty

Parul Shah