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Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)

This dissertation explores pedagogical shifts in Bharathanatyam in Durban, South Africa and Chennai, India in the 2000s. It questions the state of Bharathanatyam teaching in South Africa today in order to understand its role in a multicultural context. Chapter One forms the rationale and background...

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Main Author: Devan, Saranya
Other Authors: Samuel, Gerard
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Drama 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author Devan, Saranya
author2 Samuel, Gerard
author_browse Devan, Saranya
Samuel, Gerard
author_facet Samuel, Gerard
Devan, Saranya
author_sort Devan, Saranya
collection Thesis
description This dissertation explores pedagogical shifts in Bharathanatyam in Durban, South Africa and Chennai, India in the 2000s. It questions the state of Bharathanatyam teaching in South Africa today in order to understand its role in a multicultural context. Chapter One forms the rationale and background to the study. It begins by offering a contextual frame of the histories and cultural politics in South Africa and India. It discusses Dance and the beginnings of Indian Dance in South Africa, ending with reflections of Bharathanatyam pedagogy, post 1994 in South Africa. The literature review spans across Chapters Two and Three, which look broadly at critical pedagogy and expanded views of culture. Notions in Dance pedagogy by Sue Stinson (1999), Sherry B. Shapiro (2004), Lliane Loots (2006) and Sharon Friedman (2011) are accessed to discuss western pedagogical paradigms. These are contrasted by Suparna Banerjee (2013), Sunil Kothari (2007) and Shanti Pillai (2002) whose critique of the Guru-Shishya Parampara offers a counterpoint of the dominant western hegemony. Janet O'Shea (2009) and Ketu Katrak (2011) aid in the understanding of Bharathanatyam as a ‘carrier of culture' in the Motherland and diaspora. A qualitative research methodology was deployed to uncover practices by teachers in Chennai and Durban. This study will investigate how some traditional gesticulations such as Adavus, hastas and posture are not being rigidly upheld in the teaching of Bharathanatyam by certain teachers. Unstructured interviews, participant observation and a discussion of baani from case studies was utilized. Some of the major findings of the study included observations of a dilution of Adavu teaching in Durban, the marginalisation of Bhakti and the genealogical mapping of the Tanjore/Pandanallur baani. A proposal for the institutionalisation of Bharathanatyam is made.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/35713
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:53.390Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher Department of Drama
publisherStr Department of Drama
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/35713 Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020) Devan, Saranya Samuel, Gerard Dance This dissertation explores pedagogical shifts in Bharathanatyam in Durban, South Africa and Chennai, India in the 2000s. It questions the state of Bharathanatyam teaching in South Africa today in order to understand its role in a multicultural context. Chapter One forms the rationale and background to the study. It begins by offering a contextual frame of the histories and cultural politics in South Africa and India. It discusses Dance and the beginnings of Indian Dance in South Africa, ending with reflections of Bharathanatyam pedagogy, post 1994 in South Africa. The literature review spans across Chapters Two and Three, which look broadly at critical pedagogy and expanded views of culture. Notions in Dance pedagogy by Sue Stinson (1999), Sherry B. Shapiro (2004), Lliane Loots (2006) and Sharon Friedman (2011) are accessed to discuss western pedagogical paradigms. These are contrasted by Suparna Banerjee (2013), Sunil Kothari (2007) and Shanti Pillai (2002) whose critique of the Guru-Shishya Parampara offers a counterpoint of the dominant western hegemony. Janet O'Shea (2009) and Ketu Katrak (2011) aid in the understanding of Bharathanatyam as a ‘carrier of culture' in the Motherland and diaspora. A qualitative research methodology was deployed to uncover practices by teachers in Chennai and Durban. This study will investigate how some traditional gesticulations such as Adavus, hastas and posture are not being rigidly upheld in the teaching of Bharathanatyam by certain teachers. Unstructured interviews, participant observation and a discussion of baani from case studies was utilized. Some of the major findings of the study included observations of a dilution of Adavu teaching in Durban, the marginalisation of Bhakti and the genealogical mapping of the Tanjore/Pandanallur baani. A proposal for the institutionalisation of Bharathanatyam is made. 2022-02-18T05:55:05Z 2022-02-18T05:55:05Z 2021 2022-02-10T08:45:12Z Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/35713 eng application/pdf Department of Drama Faculty of Humanities
spellingShingle Dance
Devan, Saranya
Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
title_full Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
title_fullStr Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
title_full_unstemmed Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
title_short Pedagogical shifts in Bharathatyam, Durban: Case studies in Durban-South Africa and Chennai-India (2019 & 2020)
title_sort pedagogical shifts in bharathatyam durban case studies in durban south africa and chennai india 2019 2020
topic Dance
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/35713
work_keys_str_mv AT devansaranya pedagogicalshiftsinbharathatyamdurbancasestudiesindurbansouthafricaandchennaiindia20192020