| BHARATANATYAM
Aparna Keshaviah's work integrates artistic exploration with scientific rigor to study
relationships between music & dance, tradition & innovation,
and stylistic paradigms.
Her
understanding of dance is enhanced by training in yoga, classical
piano, music theory, and voice. She teaches and performs Bharatanatyam
as well as Indian folk and Bollywood dance in Cambridge, MA and the
Boston metropolitan area.
PDF of Curriculum Vitae
| | | | CHOREOGRAPHYSource Code (Upcoming - 2010)
Stripping
Bharatanatyam of the formal, Brahmanical framework inherited from the
20th c., this performance will test whether cultural translation is
needed for comprehension.Mahishasura Mardini (Demon-slaying goddess)
Pounding rhythms of war propelled by the pulses of a traditional chant (sloka) invoke the fierce goddess Kali. Originally created for the
Lebanese Red Cross fundraiser in Boston; re-staged for the international Folkmoot U.S.A. festival.Matrabandh (Union of elements)
This
piece deconstructs Bharatanatyam into footwork,
gesture, and expression before reuniting them. Bare, powerful
stamping is contrasts with fluid hand gestures, and when united, are punctuated by sharp isolations of the neck, eyes, and
shoulders. Matrabandh allows beginners to feel the language of
Bharatanatyam even while learning the alphabetic steps.
“Bharatanatyam: A Step Apart” (2004)
A 2-hour production that infused the customary Bharatanatyam repertoire
with contemporary analysis. Staged by a troupe of 7
dancers and accompanied by a full south Indian
orchestra. All proceeds were donated to HIHT for health & rural development
projects in India. | |