Dancing Divinities in Indian Art is an admirable attempt by a young dancer-scholar to enter those alleys of the study of art history where very few have so far trodden. The book reveals the eternal, the never dying element of our civilization through one of the most powerful forms of human expression and rhythm–the dance. The study is an analysis of the presentation of sculptures as fulfilling the dictates of postures defined in the various dance treatises. It also embodies an interlinking of textual, literary and archaeological sources to prove convincingly the unity of ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ in the Indian tradition. By concentrating on the divinities, the study leads to links between the artistic and spiritual pursuits. The book presents a fresh outlook and some revealing conclusions which should open new vistas for further studies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sucharita Khanna
Sucharita was born in Varanasi – the cultural capital of India, in the idyllic surroundings of the Banaras Hindu University campus. The atmosphere at home being culturally rich helped young Sucharita blossom as an artist at a very young age. Shri C.V. Chandrashekhar, a renouned disciple of Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, was in Varanasi at that time and Sucharita received early training in Bharatnatyam from him. Later Shri Chandrashekhar joined the Faculty of Music and Dance, M.S. University of Baroda as Professor of Dance. This led Sucharita migrate to Baroda University to continue her studies in dance under the watchful eyes of Prof. C.V. Chandrashekhar. She did her post-graduation in Performing Arts (Bharatnatyam dance) in 1988. Her performing skills impressed her teachers at Baroda. Besides, presenting several performances there, she was selected for a group dance in the famous TV serial on Ramayana produced by Shri Ramanand Sagar. However, Sucharita showed keen academic interest in the study of dance treatises and their link with the growth of plastic forms of which this country has a very rich repertoire. She decided to pursue higher studies and obtained her doctoral degree in 1992 from the Banaras Hindu University. Dr. Sucharita Khanna is both a performing artist and a teacher of dance. She is mainly devoting herself for training young students. Overcoming the demands of a family life dutifully and yet gracefully she is contributing significantly in enriching the cultural life of Kanpur in north India.
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