School of Creative
Industries
BA(Hons) Arts Management
Contemporary traditions: exploring the changing functions of Bharathanaatyam for Singapore-based practitioners
The narratives, aesthetics and structure of Bharathanaatyam (an Indian dance form) have seen unique evolutions in Singapore. This paper explores the changes in the functions of contemporary Bharathanaatyam as a response to local and global flows, and aims to situate its current functions for locally based practitioners. Using interviews with local dance practitioners and researchers, and autoethnography, the study will identify ways in which the narrative messaging, aesthetics and structural practice of Bharathanaatyam are currently changing, analyse the impact of social, economic, cultural and political factors on contemporary Bharathanaatyam, and locate its functions for those who practise it. In doing so, the study aims to raise greater questions about the agency of practitioners in shaping the future of the form.
Bharathanaatyam, contemporary, tradition, dance
hegemony and agency, pedagogy, performativity, critical tradition
Mruthika Priya Raman
Mruthika (Thika) will graduate with a BA(Hons) Arts Management from LASALLE College of the Arts in 2023. She is a cross-disciplinary arts practitioner and manager with an inclination towards accessibility and inclusive art practice.
Thika was most recently a project manager and marketing assistant for StoryFest 2022, and was also a part of the five-person organising team in charge of ARTWALK 2022. She strongly believes in lifelong learning, and hopes to facilitate the convergence of diverse voices from different domains to promote a more fluid artistic landscape.