A platform for critical engagement with dance
The Hindu
The online platform brings together scholars and dancers to debate and discuss
Re-cognising Dance (RD) was launched in August 2020 as a platform for dancers, students and enthusiasts to engage critically with the social and political histories of what comes under the umbrella term of “Indian classical dance” today. Run by Aranyani Bhargav and Mahalakshmi Prabhakar, the Scholar series is RD’s most important pillar. Since it is often difficult for dancers who do not go into academia to gain access to a critical social and political history of classical dance, the Scholar series invites academics and experts to distil their work for an interested audience. The talks have been increasingly well attended, and the presence of both young and established dancers leads the organisers to believe that the series fills a gap that has long existed between academia and practice. Conducted over Zoom, the talks are free for anyone who signs up, and the recordings are later uploaded to YouTube for anyone interested to access them later. The speakers are encouraged to drop academic jargon for a more accessible language, and the sessions are designed to be interactive, with questions greatly encouraged. The two say that the meetings often run over the time slot because there is so much interest generated by the discussion. Select texts by the speakers, which often lie behind journal paywalls, are also made available. According to Aranyani and Mahalakshmi, a generous sharing of information is what the Scholar series attempts to do, as well as give a space for dialogue where differing views can come up for debate and discussion.More Related News