Emoting the Expressions: Gestures of a transformed dancer

The objective of the current portfolio is to focus on one important aspect of Indian dramaturgy and dance traditions. The genre of performing arts is the most expressive tool of cultural production. Aesthetic traditions of India have categorised human emotions into nine elements known as Nava Rasas. On account of a taboo attached to female performances on open stage, male artists used to learn and perform the nine gestures: Love (Sringara), Laughter (Hasya), Sorrow (Karuna), Anger (Raudra), Courage (Veera), Terror (Bhayanaka), Disgust (Bibhatsa), Wonder (Adbhuta) and Peace (Santa). It needs a kind of transcendental skill for male artists to sport a feminine visage and then emote expressions of a female. The current submission aims at capturing the man-woman transformation and highlights the famed Nine Gestures (Nava Rasas). The present portfolio makes serious attempt to inform contemporary generation on the intricate details of male-female transformation during stage performances in India today.