In November 2000, India gave national recognition to the Dance of the Sattras of Assam, compelling it to live two lives – as religious ritual and as stage practice. This move has resulted in subtle yet significant changes to the dance—including the geography and gender of those practicing the dance, as well as its agenda, artistry, and content. This talk interrogates this federal maneuver as one driven by political expediency rather than artistic valorization.
This event is cosponsored by the Institute for the Study of Global Change and the Department of Religious Studies.
Dr. Arshiya Sethi, Post Doctoral Fulbright – Nehru Fellow from India, attached to the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, is an independent scholar, contributing articles, chapters and columns on the Arts. She has been dance critic, curator, a popular media presenter, and an institution builder in the arts. Her doctoral research has been on the intersection of politics and patronage case of the Sattras of Assam. She has served as Arts Consultant and Advisor with Doordarshan, the National Television Broadcaster for Dance and Culture and on various committees of the Government of India.