Bells of Change (Kathak Dance, Women and Modernity in India)

$33
Item Code: NAF057
Author: Pallabi Chakravorty
Publisher: Seagull Books Pvt. Ltd.
Language: English
Edition: 2008
ISBN: 9781905422470
Pages: 223
Cover: Hardcover
Other Details 9.5 inch X 6.5 inch
Weight 500 gm
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
23 years in business
23 years in business
Book Description
Back of the Book

‘I do not claim this to be an impartial and neutral ethnography; rather, I engage in a politics of intervention along with the subjects of my study to interrogate the dominant power structure in classical culture.

At the same time, I see this work also engaged in a critical postcolonial anthropology that refuses to be contained by easy definitions of the self and other or seamless descriptions of culture and identity. My identity as a native anthropologist and as a dance practitioner unsettles several boundaries, including the one between native/halfie anthropologist and the subjects of her research.’

About the Book

The first critical study of Kathak dance within the discourses of the modern and the global, tracing the arc of two centuries of Kathak: the colonial nautch dance, classical Kathak under nationalism and postcolonialism and ‘innovation’ and ‘new directions’ under transnationalism and globalization. It blends various approaches from anthropology, ethnomusicology, and performance, media and gender studies to map the journey of Kathak from baijis and tawaifs to the global stage. The book uses dance as a lens to explore the interaction between the actors and forces of cultural change from power and patronage to television and film.

About the Author

Pallabi Chakravorty, visual anthropologist and Kathak exponent, is founder and artistic director of contemporary dance ensemble Courtyard Dancers in Philadelphia and has specialized in Kathak for more than 20 years under guru Bandana Sen. Chakravorty’s scholarly and choreographic works reflect her long immersion in Kathak, ethnographic methods and social theory. Author of numerous scholarly papers, this is her first book. Forthcoming edited volumes include Performing Ecstasy: The Poetics and Politics of Religion in India, with Scott Kugle, and Dance Matters with Nilanjana Gupta. She is a faculty member, Department of Music and Dance, Swarthmore college, USA, where she will be serving as acting director for dance from Fall 2008.

Author’s Note

Part of the second chapter was published in a book titled Culture Studies: An Introduction for Indian Readers (ed. Nilanjana Gupta, Worldview Press: New Delhi, 2004), part of the third chapter appeared in the journal Visual Anthropology [17 (1), January 2004] with the title ‘Dance, Pleasure, and Indian Women as Multisensorial Subjects’ and in the proceedings from a symposium titled ‘Dance in South Asia: New Approaches Politics and Aesthetics’. I have retained the names of the dancers and choreographers I interviewed and interacted with, as this is what they wished.

Contents

Acknowledgementsix
Author's Notexi
Locating Dance1
From Nautch to Classical Kathak26
Public Modernity and Classical Kathak59
Women and Kathak in Everyday Practice97
Tradition and Innovation138
Sustainable Pluralism171
References Cited191
Select Bibliography206
Index211
Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What locations do you deliver to ?
    A. Exotic India delivers orders to all countries having diplomatic relations with India.
  • Q. Do you offer free shipping ?
    A. Exotic India offers free shipping on all orders of value of $30 USD or more.
  • Q. Can I return the book?
    A. All returns must be postmarked within seven (7) days of the delivery date. All returned items must be in new and unused condition, with all original tags and labels attached. To know more please view our return policy
  • Q. Do you offer express shipping ?
    A. Yes, we do have a chargeable express shipping facility available. You can select express shipping while checking out on the website.
  • Q. I accidentally entered wrong delivery address, can I change the address ?
    A. Delivery addresses can only be changed only incase the order has not been shipped yet. Incase of an address change, you can reach us at help@exoticindia.com
  • Q. How do I track my order ?
    A. You can track your orders simply entering your order number through here or through your past orders if you are signed in on the website.
  • Q. How can I cancel an order ?
    A. An order can only be cancelled if it has not been shipped. To cancel an order, kindly reach out to us through help@exoticindia.com.
Add a review
Have A Question

For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy