UNVEILING THE RISE OF MALE DANCERS IN 21ST CENTURY BHARATANATYAM: NAVIGATING CHALLENGES AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i9s.2026.8071Keywords:
Bharatanatyam, Male Dancers, Gender Roles, Training Opportunities, Societal Perceptions, Diversity, Challenges, OpportunitiesAbstract [English]
This study examines the factors driving the increasing participation of male dancers in Bharatanatyam, as well as the challenges and opportunities encountered by male dancers in this classical dance form. Through a quantitative analysis of Likert scale responses from 100 respondents, the study explores perceptions of male dancers' impact on Bharatanatyam diversity, the influence of traditional gender roles, the availability of training opportunities, challenges related to societal perceptions, and future prospects. The findings reveal a generally positive perception of male dancers' contributions to Bharatanatyam, alongside persistent challenges associated with traditional gender norms. While improvements in training opportunities offer hope for greater inclusivity, male dancers continue to face unique obstacles in navigating gender expectations.
References
Juhi, T. (2021). Bharatanatyam: A Reflection of the past and Evolving Embodiment of the Times.
Krishnan, H. (2009). From gynemimesis to hypermasculinity: The shifting orientations of male performers of South Indian court dance. When men dance: Choreographing masculinities across borders, 378-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195386691.003.0013
Banerjee, S. (2021). Men in Mohiniyattam: An Ethnographic Study on Gender Binaries.
Chavali, R. (2018). Men in dance with special emphasis on Kuchipudi, a south Indian classical dance tradition. In Article Presented at International Word Congress of Dance Research. Retrieved from http://2018congressathens. cid-world. org/cloud/Mr.% 20Rajesh% 20Chavali_USA_23362/Men% 20in% 20Dance_WCDR_.
Thiagarajan, P. (2017). Gender and ethnicity in Indian classical dance in Malaysia. Asian Theatre Journal, 34(1), 97-121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2017.0006
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Debu Debnath, Dr. Arkadev Bhattacharya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
