List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements

Introduction: Towards a Global Community

Chapter 1. (Re)writing a History of Odissi Dance
Chapter 2. Choreographing Tradition and the Practice of Sadhana
Chapter 3. Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hain? Or "What's Behind the Blouse"?
Chapter 4. The Marketplace of Odissi Dance
Chapter 5. Odissistan: Embodying a Sacred Space

Conclusion: Looking Within and Without

Key Informants
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography

Widely believed to be the oldest Indian dance tradition, odissi has transformed over the centuries from a sacred temple ritual to a transnational genre performed-and consumed-throughout the world. Building on ethnographic research in multiple locations, this book charts the evolution of odissi dance and reveals the richness, rigor, and complexity of the form as it is practiced today. As author and dancer-choreographer Nandini Sikand shows, the story of odissi is ultimately a story of postcolonial India, one in which identity, nationalism, tradition, and neoliberal politics dramatically come together.

Nandini Sikand is an odissi dancer, filmmaker, and anthropologist. She is the co-founder and co-director of Sakshi Productions, a neo-classical and contemporary dance company, and an Assistant Professor in the interdisciplinary film and media studies program at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.