India: Politics of Dance, Dance of Politics

This interdisciplinary program will examine dance, politics and culture in the world's largest democracy: India. India has a rich social and political history and is the repository of the Indus Valley civilization as well as the Sanskritic legacy of art, architecture, dance, music and theatre. It is also undergoing very rapid globalization, challenging all aspects of life.

In fall quarter, we will immerse ourselves in a study of India. We will attempt to understand how, upon independence in 1947, India became a functioning democracy. Its democratic institutions were shaped in large part by its long history, colonial rule, and the social context at independence. To understand India's complex experience with democracy, we will investigate the changing relations of religion, caste, class and ethnicity, as well as the recent formation of a vibrant middle class and the impact of globalized growth. India has also been shaped by its ancient traditions of art, dance and literature. Since dance, theatre and music have a special place in the context of Indian history, politics and culture, we will study some of the ancient literature that has shaped Indian thought over the centuries, as well as some of the art forms, visual and performing, that have continued to the present day or have been re-created in their neo-classical form from classical archives. Over the fall, students will design collaborative or individual projects to be carried out in the winter as they travel and study in India.

In winter quarter, we will spend six weeks in India, traveling to several major cities to deepen and contextualize our fall studies. We will experience traditional political dance and music theatre, the use of arts for social change, and developmental television to gain a deeper understanding of Indian culture, traditions and rapidly changing present. We will spend time in major cities to experience a measure of the diversity and complexity and the challenges of a rapidly changing political economy. We will return to Evergreen with sufficient time to complete the projects and to reflect upon and analyze the two quarters' work.