Abstract: The Nāṭyaśāstra presents an intricate technique of 108 dance movements (karaṇa), whose building blocks are provided in cryptic Sanskrit verses and whose context and details have to be retrieved from an intertextual web of references scattered within Bharata’s text, as well as in Abhinavagupta’s commentary on it. Moreover, four medieval temples display series of carvings representing visually those very movements of dance. In this lecture, Sarah Sangeetha will explain and demonstrate aspects of the modern reconstruction of this ancient technique from its multi-media fragments, and Sri Renjith Choorakkad will show how the text of the Nāṭyaśāstra continues to be a constant source of inspiration and reference point in the development of contemporary Bharatanatyam dance.
Renjith Babu is a highly accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher and choreographer, who integrates dance with yoga and martial arts, combining artistic excellence with a deep understanding of body movement. Trained under renowned gurus like Prof. CV Chandrasekhar and at Kalakshetra, he has performed as a main dancer in major productions and collaborated widely with leading artists.
Sarah Sangeetha is a professional Bharatanatyam and Karana artiste and teacher from Zurich. She holds an MA in Bharatanatyam from KSGH Music and Performing Arts University in Mysore, and was trained in Natyashastra at Nrithyodaya, Chennai, under Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Sarah has been performing and teaching across Europe and India.