Event Details

The Role of Ancient Indian Treatises in Indian Dance
Exploring Nāṭyaśāstra & Abhinaya Darpaṇam with a focus on Strīṇām Ālaṅkāras and Padabhedas by Dr. Sandhya Purecha

• Tata Theatre Lower lobby, NCPA – 26th November 2025 |11:00am -3:00pm
• Experimental Theatre, NCPA – 27th November 2025 |11:00am -3:00pm
• West Room 1, NCPA – 28th November 2025 |11:00am -3:00pm

Bharatanatyam exponent, Dr. Sandhya Purecha is the current Chairperson of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. She has previously served as the Chair of W20 under India’s G20 Presidency. She is exemplified as India’s foremost performing-academician, incredible dancer, ingenious choreographer, erudite author, scholar and researcher. She is the senior-most disciple of Late Guru Acharya Parvatikumar and has learnt under his tutelage in the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara. A rare intensity and authority of her essentially modern style, convincingly disciplined by the immaculate classical technique, resulted in her innovative approach towards shastra (theory) and sampradaya (practice) which has been described as a pioneering effort. Evolving into an artiste of matchless individuality, she continued with her ardent involvement in dance and earned her doctorate in Natyashastra in Theory and Practice of Angika Abhinaya in Bharatanatyam. With over 35 years of authoritative teaching at her institution Kala Paricchaya, Mumbai, she has endowed the benefit of her knowledge to over 5000 students till date. Her vision scaled more prestigious heights with the establishment of her brainchild, Bharata College of Fine Arts & Culture affiliated to Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Nagpur, the only dance college that is actively immersed in classical dance performance and pedagogy based on Ancient Sanskrit Treatises and ancillary studies, providing academic sanction to students who wish to pursue dance as a full-time career. She regularly performs at prestigious events and festivals both in India and abroad. Purecha is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Overall Contribution, Hirkani Award by Doordarshan Kendra Mumbai, Gujrat Gaurav Puraskar by Govt. of Gujarat and Gujarat Sangeet Natak Academy, Maharashtra State Cultural Award by Govt. of Maharashtra and Nritya Samahita Award by the R.K. Dance Theatre inc., National Arts Council of South Africa, ICCR among others along with Senior Fellowship, Junior Fellowship & National Scholarship by the Department of Culture, Govt. of India.

This masterclass by Dr. Sandhya Purecha will explore the significance of ancient Indian treatises in shaping the practice and pedagogy of Indian dance. With a special focus on the Nāṭyaśāstra and the Abhinaya Darpaṇam, the session will cover key aspects such as strīṇām ālaṅkāras (ornamentations for women) from the Nāṭyaśāstra and padabhedas (classifications of feet movements) from the Abhinaya Darpaṇam. The class will provide both theoretical insights and practical demonstrations, offering participants a holistic understanding of these timeless texts.

Open to: All Classical Dance Styles

Register now.