Professor Hari Krishnan danced to a packed audience at the Widener Auditorium on October 11th and 12th, for the two-day residency exploring the vernacular histories of courtesan dance in South India.
Hari Krishnan, Associate Professor of Dance at Wesleyan University, Artistic Director of the Toronto-based dance company inDance, and master performer of Bharatanatyam, was joined by musicians Vaaraki Wijayaraj, Kajan Pararasasegaram and Bala Krishnaraj. Dr. Davesh Soneji, Associate Professor of South Asia Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and historian of the performing arts of South India, provided scholarly commentary and lecture between the performances which were inspired by rare dances and music repertoire from the courtesan communities of central Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Following the performance, students stayed for a Q&A session with Dr. Soneji, Hari Krishnan, and the musicians, where they talked more about the improvisational nature of Bharatanatyam music, and the connection between musician and dancer.