Malini Srinivasan

For SUNY Stony Brook students, courses offered by The Department of Asian and Asian American Studies and the Center for India Studies 

AAS 209  Indian Classical Dance: Bharatanatyam 

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form from southern India, and is considered the oldest of the solo dance forms. It has two aspects: nrtta, or pure dance, and abhinaya, or mime. This dance class aims to give the student a firm basis in Bharatanatyam technique, theory and history. Students will learn adavus, or basic steps, and mudras, or hand gestures. They will also study the theory and practice of story-telling including the mythological characters portrayed and the nine rasas or flavors. Students engage in creative projects including choreographing a dance step, a poem, and a group piece. This course culminates in a group dance performance. NOTE: This is a practical dance course; students should be in good physical health. Previous dance or Yoga experience is a plus. 

AAS 215 | Performing Arts in India 

Classical Indian dance and theatre are highly evolved forms of story-telling. Thus, students begin their study of performing arts with a survey of the Indian myths that form the substance of these art forms. Students also study portions of the Natya Shastra, the ancient Indian text on theatre, and the theory of rasa that informs all classical Indian art forms. With these tools, the students will begin an in-depth study of Bharatanatyam, the solo dance form from Tamil Nadu, which will be followed by a comparative study of Indian classical dance forms such as Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri and Kathakali. The ancient and modern history, aesthetics, technique and practitioners of each style will be covered through lectures, readings, live demonstrations and videos. Students will be required to attend a live performance. NOTE: This is a survey course and students are not required to perform dance