Shaping S-Curves

Shaping S-Curves: Choreographic Process in Odissi theorizes choreographic practices in Odissi, an eastern Indian traditional art form. With sections on theory alongside case studies, Shaping S-Curves adopts a practice-based research methodology, exploring choreographic principles and techniques, ranging from traditional to contemporary perspectives. Appendix materials include sample curricula and pedagogical resource guides. Instructive for artists, practitioners, teachers, and students of Odissi, Shaping S-Curves explores how choreography is an immersive and multidimensional exercise, where movement, music, text, and context are constantly shaping and re-shaping embodiment and expression.

Kaustavi Sarkar is an Associate Professor of Dance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and maintains dual careers in academia and in solo performance. Sarkar is an Odissi (eastern Indian traditional art form of Odisha) soloist, performing and touring for the past two decades. Sarkar investigates virtuosity in dance-theater as fostered in traditional Indian aesthetics through her research on choreography and creative processes. She is a leader in the field of dance and founded the journal South Asian Dance Intersections as well as the Odissi Odyssey conference held annually at UNC Charlotte. Her book Dance Technology and Social Justice: Individual and Collective Emancipation Through Embodied Techniques (McFarland, 2024) has been featured in Dance Studies Association’s 2024-2025 Reading Seminars.