Dance Residency by Dr. Sandhya Purecha

The Role of Ancient Indian Treatises in Indian Dance

Exploring Nāṭyaśāstra & Abhinaya Darpaṇam with a focus on Padabhedas and Strīṇām Ālaṅkāras by 

Dr. Sandhya Purecha

Date: 26th, 27th & 28th November 2025

Time: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Venue:

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

Registration Fee: ₹3,000 (for three days)

Open to: All Classical Dance Styles

Dr. Sandhya Purecha - is the current Chairperson of W20 and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. Exemplified as India’s foremost performing-academician, incredible dancer, ingenious choreographer, erudite author, scholar and researcher, her passion for excellence and artistic talents shine through her commitment to Indian classical dance coupled with her unparalleled vision. 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. As an intelligent dancer with contemporary sensitivity, with her grace, radiance and technical proficiency, she draws the viewer into the inner spaces that she paints, leaving the audience deeply touched by each of her performances and choreographies. She is a regular performer at major festivals in India and abroad. Richly honoured and widely travelled, some of Dr. Pureccha’s performances have been at top national festivals like Narmada Seva Yatra, Vibrant Navratri – Vibrant Gujarat, Siddhi Festival, Simhastha Kumbha Kala Utsav, Khajurao Festival, Konark Festival, Natyanjali Chidambaram, Modhera Festival, Ellora Festival, Taj Festival, Mammallapuram Festival, Hampi Festival, Jhansi National Festival to name a few in India and internationally in Netherlands, Dubai, London, Edinburgh, South Africa, Moscow, Toronto, New York, Taiwan. Her emphasis on purity of tradition and classical technique in her solo Bharatanatyam recitals has been received with acclaim. In addition to this, her deep understanding and infinite ability to communicate through the dance idiom has been enhanced with her indisputable expertise in shastra and stands out for its technical perfection and artistic sensibility. A dancer, an innovator- choreographer, a scholar – researcher, an author, educationist and a great teacher, she humbly acknowledges the blessings of her guru and mentor Acharya Parvatikumar as one of the major contributors to her multifaceted personality, successes and achievements.

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

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