Urban Kali: From Sacred Dance to Secular Performance

The premise of my doctoral research is to ask how sacred Hindu iconography in traditional Indian classical dance might translate to secular, feminist performance. Similar to a choreographic design, the practical creative work and the theoretical research engage in a ‘duet’ of movement back and forth, both sharing a strong gestural motif that reinforces the central theme of "sacred to secular", and "tradition as transgression”. The thesis will establish my relationship to Goddess Kali phenomena as my cultural milieu, both past and present, and situate my practice in the context of other global practitioners. Artists who demonstrate precedents of my practice include Indian choreographer and dancer, Chandralekha (b. 1928 - 2006), performance artists including American Carolee Schneeman (b. 1939), Japanese born Yoko Ono (b. 1933) and Serbian-born Marina Abramovic (b. 1946), as well as American photographic artist, Cindy Sherman (b. 1954) who all employ often confrontational and sometimes violent imagery in their work.