Can Rasa be Taught? Aesthetic Theory as a Framework for Pedagogical Renewal in Bharatanāṭyam
Speaker : Divya Hoskere
Ph.D scholar, Music Brain and Creativity Initiative
School of Humanities, NIAS
@ divyahosker@nias.res.in
Chairperson : Prof. Deepti Navaratna
T.V. Raman Pai Chair Professor, NIAS
@ :deepti.navaratna@nias.res.in
Date : 11th March 2026
Time : 9.30 AM
Venue : Lecture Hall
Abstract: Rasa is the aesthetic experience realised in performance. Despite centuries of philosophical elaboration, its role in shaping pedagogical frameworks has received comparatively little scholarly attention. In Bharatanāṭyam, this raises a foundational question: can aesthetic theory function as a structuring framework for pedagogy, rather than remain an interpretive afterthought? This talk addresses this question through the 108 karaṇas – codified movement units described in the Nāṭyaśāstra and recently reconstructed by Padma Subrahmanyam. Learning the 108 karaṇas opens new possibilities for embodied training, creative exploration, and pedagogical renewal in Bharatanāṭyam. As a Bharatanāṭyam dancer, I engage these possibilities through a practice-as-research (PaR) lens. Six months of focused study followed by choreographic experimentation and reflective analysis revealed that sustained karaṇa practice enhances kinesthetic alignment, integrates expressive and abstract movement, and expands choreographic thinking while sustaining emotional coherence. Drawing on embodied inquiry and critical engagement with the Nāṭyaśāstra, I examine how the karaṇas support a more holistic and responsive model of training. This study contributes to broader discussions on the intersection of dance aesthetics, embodiment, and pedagogy by centering practitioner experience as a site of pedagogical innovation in Indian Classical Dance.
About the speaker: Divya Hoskere is a PhD scholar at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), IISc Campus, Bengaluru. Her practice-based research, under the guidance of Dr. Deepti Navaratna, focuses on Bharatanatyam and draws from Alaṅkāraśāstra to reimagine performative, pedagogical, and creative processes of classical dance.
Recognised as one of the most promising young voices in Bharatanatyam today, Divya is critically acclaimed for her rare sensitivity to abhinaya, precision of technique, and commanding stage presence. A foremost disciple of Guru Sri P. Praveen Kumar, she is a graded artist of Doordarshan and a recipient of the Ministry of Culture’s “Scholarship to Young Artists,” the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship, and the prestigious Kalavaahini Junior Scholarship 2025 awarded by renowned danseuse Malavika Sarukkai.
Divya’s performances and choreographies have been lauded for their depth of expression and innovative approach, with recent performances at the prestigious Madras Music Academy’s Annual Dance Festivals 2025 & 2026, Dance for Dance Festival, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (Mumbai), and the India International Centre (Delhi), among others. She has undergone training in the 108 karaṇas under Guru Smt. Nirupama Rajendra and receives scholarly mentorship from Padma Bhushan Awardee, Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh.
Divya’s work reflects a deep commitment to both intellectual rigour and artistic sensitivity, bridging the worlds of research and performance.