Events

The Bhagavad Gita, as a central text of devotional study for many Hindus, is accompanied by copious oral-textual commentaries by teachers of various lineages. This lecture by Katherine C. Zubko (University of North Carolina Asheville) offers an examination of the ways in which dancing the Bhagavad Gita in the Indian storytelling dance styles of bharatanatyam and kuchipudi serve as embodied, performed commentaries that enhance the creation of bhakti rasa, or a devotional mood. The Bhagavad Gita is an unusual choice to bring into performance, as the text consists mostly of philosophical dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna rather than action-packed narratives and a breadth of emotional nuances typically used to heighten devotion. Using ethnographic case studies, the presentation highlights the strategies choreographers utilize to bring the metaphysical concepts of non-attachment, reincarnation, and text as divine embodiment to life on stage, creating interpretive commentarial possibilities in the process.

Free & open to the public.

Presented By

  • Office of Religious Life

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