Indian dance is a vast topic: aside from the highly sophisticated technique and tradition manifest in the eight ‘classical’ forms, there are numerous ‘non-classical’ forms, and it exists within a complex web of social, temporal, religious and artistic spheres, which Western cultures have historically failed to understand. International dance critic Alastair Macaulay openly and unsurprisingly admitted that where Indian dance is concerned he is an ‘outsider’, but interestingly, Shobana Jeyasingh, who comes from India and trained in Bharatanatyam, said that although she is an ‘insider’, in some respects she too is an ‘outsider’.
Jeyasingh began by explaining the four means of means of communication through the body: tension, rhythm, emotion and decoration. Her demonstration of the rotation of the arm in a gesture that originates in back and makes it strong as steel had many of us in the audience trying it out as we sat. Jeyasingh continued by explaining more about the dance’s rhythmic patterns, its flavours or nuances, and the integral significance of costume and makeup. Macaulay generously shared images of dance and dancers drawn from his own travels, which showed the importance of the often lengthy and elaborate preparation, as well as the dance itself.
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Oxford Dance Writers 