Widely believed to be the oldest Indian dance tradition, odissi has transformed over the centuries from a sacred temple ritual to a transnational genre performed-and consumed-throughout the world. Building on ethnographic research in multiple locations, this book charts the evolution of odissi dance and reveals the richness, rigor, and complexity of the form as it is practiced today. As author and dancer-choreographer Nandini Sikand shows, the story of odissi is ultimately a story of postcolonial India, one in which identity, nationalism, tradition, and neoliberal politics dramatically come together.

Covering eight classical dance forms of India Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Odissi and Sattriya Leela Venkataraman seamlessly weaves together a historical perspective with the contemporary scenario. Stripped of their association with the temple and the court, classical dance traditions in India went through a series of unprecedented change in the period marking the last few years of British rule and thereafter. From becoming part of the nationalist struggle when India was trying to rediscover its lost identity, to sharing the international stage today with dance forms from all over the world, the last sixty-six years have seen many changes in perspective and presentation of Indian Classical Dance some intentional, others involuntary. While looking at these years closely and their impact on dance forms, one realises that this is a phase in an ongoing process, with each new generation of dancers and musicians adding to an already rich tapestry of tradition."

- Describes Odissi's mechanism for creating, dispersing and expressing energy - Explores the principles of yoga in Indian dance and building a tangible artistic practice based on this understanding - Meant for performers, dance enthusiasts and general readers alike Dance as Yoga addresses the background, technique and embodiment of the odissi dance form. It describes odissi's mechanism for creating, dispersing, and expressing energy, as well as some early experiments in choreography that extended its accepted parameters with reference to Choreological Studies. It is meant for both performers and audiences to better appreciate the reasons for the restraints inherent in such dance forms and, by doing so, have an informed appreciation of innovation that builds on traditional strengths. Contents: Preface; Introduction; 1. Odissi's Temple Legacy; 2. The Guru's Path; 3. Choreological Studies; 4. Strand Body; 5. Strand Movement; 6. Sound-Movement Nexus; 7. Covert Structures; 8. Reflections on Choreography; Annexure A; Annexure B; Glossary 1; Glossary 2; Bibliography; Acknowledgements; Index.

Previous studies have analysed Indian classical dance as an expression of Indian religious and nationalist culture, examining the art form solely in the context of Indian history and culture. In investigating performances of Indian classical dance in the UK it is possible to argue that classical Indian dance has become a key aspect of the mutual constitution of not only postcolonial Indian and South Asia diasporic identities, but also of British multicultural and transnational identity. This book explores what happens when national cultural production is reproduced outside the immediate social, political and cultural context of its construction.