Off the Beat Dance Podcast

In the season finale, Ameya and Kiran ponder over what embodied practice looks like for Indian dancers with special guest Dr. Yashoda Thakore. Dr. Thakore discusses how to define embodied practice, bridge academia and performance, and find meaningful ways to connect dance to the world around us. Ameya and Kiran reflect on what they have from Dr. Thakore’s brilliant conversation and throughout all six episodes to bring Season 1 to a close.  

Call to Action:  Dance in service to your life, your community, and the world around you. 

Dive deeper:   

• Jaya Senapati:  Nrtta Ratnavali (2013) - translated by Drs. Pappu Venugopala Rao & Yashoda Thakore 
• Yashoda Thakore:  Kaivalya: Joy in Yoga and Dance (2014) 
• Yashoda Thakore:  Pārśvadeva - The Dancer’s Friend -Swarbharti 2020 (digest/souvenir) 
• Yashoda Thakore:  Her Story of Dance Podcast (2021) 

About Dr. Yashoda Thakore: 

Award-winning dancer, educator, researcher, and writer, Dr. Yashoda Thakore deftly balances artistry with scholarship as a Kuchipudi and Devadasi Nrityam artiste. She initially trained in Kuchipudi for 14 years under Padmasri Shoba Naidu and Padmabhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam. Her quest to explore deeper potentialities in dance led her to train with Padmabhushan Swapnasundari for some time. Quite recently, she discovered that she is part of the Kalavantulu community of hereditary women dancers who performed in the temples, courts, and salons in and around the Godaveri Delta in Andhra Pradesh. She then began learning directly from the families themselves in this region.  

Dr. Thakore has successfully bridged her love for dance practice with academic research by first pursuing a Masters in Dance and then a PhD in Yoga and Dance. In 2013, Dr. Thakore, in association with Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao, published a critically-acclaimed English translation of the 13th-century text, Nritta Ratnavalli. Other publications include Kaivalya - Joy in Yoga & Dance. In 2017, she was conferred the Ugadi Puraskar by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for her incredible devotion and contribution to art. 

She has travelled widely as both a performer and lecturer at many prestigious venues including: The Music Academy in Chennai, Khajuraho and Konark Festivals, The Nehru Center in London, Volos International Festival in Greece, the Center for South Asian Studies in Paris, and many others. 

Instagram:  @yashodathakore 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yashoda.thakore 

Website:  http://yashodathakore.com

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of our amazing listeners as well as:  

• Dr. Yashoda Thakore  
• We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering  
• Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo  

Ameya and Kiran continue their exploration of joy through sacred and secular rituals surrounding dance while chatting about chaat (their favorite Indian snack), scrubbing floors, and stolen bells. What exactly is ritual and why is it sacred? Are there right and wrong rituals for Indian classical dancers? Ameya and Kiran examine these critical questions using a compelling definition of ritual from The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile.  

Call to Action:  Have your rituals changed in response to the world around you?  

Dive deeper:   

• Casper ter Kuile – The Power of Ritual (on Ameya's current reading list)
• Hobson, Schroeder, et al. (2017) - The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-based Framework (Journal Review Article)
• Gilles Deleuze - Difference & Repetition (a foundational text in Performance Studies and a philosophical inquiry into habit with clear applications to ritual) 

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of our amazing listeners and the following people:  

• We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering   
• Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo  
• Sarada Jammi for Ameya’s studio space  
• A special thanks to Wesley Beeks & Bertel King, Jr.  

Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the podcast, and tell your friends about us so that more people can find this show! You can also support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/offthebeatdance. Your donations, reviews, and support will go a long way to help us to continue the show. You can also join our conversation by following us at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, and Twitter or visiting us at www.offthebeat.dance. We’d love to hear from you. 

Ameya and Kiran reflect on their relationship with joy on and off stage, especially after nearly two tumultuous years of pandemic. They revisit Pārśvadeva’s Sangīta Samaya Sāra for his unique perspective on the dancer’s joy and uncover what Tamil literature from the ancient Sangam period also has to say about it.  

Call to action: Think about what gives you joy and how to bring it into your dance.  

Dive deeper:   

• Mandakranta Bose – Movement and Mimesis: Idea of Dance in the Sanskritic Tradition 
• S. Raghuraman - History of Tamil’s Dance (Translated into English by Lakshmi Ramaswamy) 
• Yashoda Thakore - “Parsvadeva- The Dancer’s Friend” Swarbharti 2020 (digest/Souvenir) 
• “Brené with Gabby Rivera on Superheroes, Storytelling and Joy as Resistance” on the podcast Unlocking Us  
• Ananda Coomaraswamy - Yakṣas  
• Mahāvamsa (Translated into English by Ananda W.P. Guruge) 
• Wash Edward Hale - Asura in Early Vedic Religion  
• S. Yogiar - Koothanool (In Tamil & English) 

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of our amazing listeners and the following people: 

• We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering  
• Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo 
• Catwalk Institute for Kiran’s studio space 
• Sarada Jammi for Ameya’s studio space 
• Dr. Lakshmi Ramaswamy for her insight on Koothanool 
• Dr. Yashoda Thakore for sharing her research on Pārśvadeva   
• A special thanks to Wesley Beeks & Bertel King, Jr. 

Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the podcast, and tell your friends about us so that more people can find this show! You can also support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/offthebeatdance. You can join our conversation by following us at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, and Twitter or visiting us at www.offthebeat.dance. We’d love to hear from you.  

In Part 2 of a special two-episode arc on Rasa, Ameya and Kiran explore the application of Rasa theory to devotional pieces, delve into Bhakti as a rasa, and unearth power structures that might be lurking within these texts. They bring it full circle by teasing apart the implications of the history of Rasa theory on the practice of Indian classical dance today. 

Call to action: Dance a piece for someone without telling them what to expect. Tell us how they respond!

Dive deeper:  

●      Mandakranta Bose – Movement and Mimesis: Idea of Dance in the Sanskritic Tradition

●      Kapila Vatsyayan – Indian Classical Dances

●      B. M. Chaturvedi and Sriramachandrudu Pullela – Some unexplored aspects of rasa theory

●      Bharata’s Natya Shastra – the chapter on rasa (Ameya’s go-to edition is the 4-volume set by Pushpendra Kumar) 

●      Jaya Senapati’s Nṛtta Ratnāvali (Translated by Yashoda Thakore and Pappu Venugopala Rao) 

●      S. Raghuraman - History of Tamil’s Dance (Translated into English by Lakshmi Ramaswamy)

●      V. Murugan - Tolkāppiyam in English

●      Gabby Rivera and Brené Brown - “Brené with Gabby Rivera on  Superheroes, Storytelling and Joy as Resistance” in the Unlocking Us podcast

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many, including

●      We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering 

●      Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo

●      Catwalk Institute for Kiran’s studio space

●      Sarada Jammi for Ameya’s studio space

●      Drs. V. Arasu, Lakshmi Ramaswamy, S. Raghuraman, and V. Murugan for their critical insights into Tolkāppiyam and the contributions of Tamil Literature to Indian dance & aesthetics

●      Drs. Yashoda Thakore and Anupama Kylash for their on the nuances of rasa theory and its evolution through Sanskrit literature, as well as their guidance for Ameya’s research into the relationship between rhythm and emotion at the University of SiliconAndhra. 

●      A special thanks to Wesley Beeks & Bertel King, Jr.

Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell your friends about us! You can follow us at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, and Twitter or visit us at offthebeat.dance. We’d love to hear from you.  

Ameya and Kiran muse over rasam recipes while diving deep into the foundations of Rasa theory in the Natya Sastra in Part 1 of this special two-episode arc. They discuss how it is understood today and present a compelling alternative theory from ancient Tamil Literature.

Call to action: What changes would you make to the Navarasa list? 

Dive deeper:  

●      Mandakranta Bose – Movement and Mimesis: Idea of Dance in the Sanskritic Tradition

●      B. M. Chaturvedi and Sriramachandrudu Pullela – Some unexplored aspects of rasa theory

●      Bharata’s Natya Shastra – Chapter 6, which is on rasa (Ameya’s go-to edition is the 4-volume set by Pushpendra Kumar) 

●      S. Raghuraman - History of Tamil’s Dance (Translated into English by Lakshmi Ramaswamy)

●      V. Murugan - Tolkāppiyam in English

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many, including

●      We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering 

●      Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo

●      Catwalk Institute for Kiran’s studio space

●      Sarada Jammi for Ameya’s studio space

●      Drs. V. Arasu, Lakshmi Ramaswamy, S. Raghuraman, and V. Murugan for their critical insights into Tolkāppiyam and the contributions of Tamil Literature to Indian dance & aesthetics

●      Drs. Yashoda Thakore and Anupama Kylash for their incisive and comprehensive review of the nuances of rasa theory and its evolution through Sanskrit literature

●      A special thanks to Wesley Beeks & Bertel King, Jr.

Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell your friends about us! You can follow us at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, and Twitter or visit us at offthebeat.dance. We’d love to hear from you. 

In the inaugural episode, Ameya and Kiran set the intention for this podcast. They then explore the slokam “Yato Hastas Tato Drishti” through their personal relationships with this Sanskrit verse, the connection between eyes and body control, and their exploration of ancient texts as they relate to the practice of dance. They also discuss rasa, bhava, abhinaya, and how to get invited to high school parties.

Call to action: Think back to some of the early lessons of your dance classes. What did you learn then that has stayed with you until now?

Dive deeper - here are some of the texts we mentioned in today's episode. You can visit the episode page on website offthebeat.dance for more bonus content as well.

• Phillip B. Zarrilli - “Where the hand [is]…” Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Autumn, 1987)
• Yashoda Thakore - “Parsvadeva- The Dancer’s Friend” Swarbharti 2020 (digest/Souvenir)
• Nandikesvara’s Abhinaya Darpana - we use the edition by P. S. R. Apparao.

Today’s episode would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many, including

• Andy Rhode of Audionauts for audio engineering
• Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of the logo
• Sarada Jammi and Sri Sai Narayana Organization for recording equipment and space
• Dr. Yashoda Thakore for sharing her research on Parsvadeva
• Dr. Vi Rajagopalan for the high school graduation photo
• A special thanks to Wesley Beeks and Bertel King, Jr.
• Music from the album Valaji by Gokul Salvadi (“Valaji” and “Abhogi Kaanada - the expedition”)

Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell your friends about us! You can follow us at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, and Twitter or visit us at offthebeat.dance. We’d love to hear from you.  

Welcome to an Off the Beat dance podcast with Ameya and Kiran!

There are a couple of phrases that are endemic to every Indian classical dancer: “Dance is more than just moving hands and legs” and “Dance is a way of life.” And you know, at times that might start sounding a bit trite.  

We want to dive deeper. We want to look at the common aspects of Indian classical dance forms with fresh eyes, bringing our lived experiences, academic nerd joy, and - most importantly - the questions that drive us.  

Basically, we’re taking an off the beat approach to discussing Indian dance.  

Our principles:  

1.     No academic jargon. K.I.S.S.  

2.     Positivity and moving forward  

3.     Be authentic. Unpolished. 🙂 

It’s a bit quirky. It’s intimate. It comes with citations of all our favorite sources. And, most importantly, it looks for actionable ways we can engage with our dance and make a difference.   

We’re planning to launch An Off the Beat Dance Podcast with Kiran and Ameya on Thursday, September 9th.