Shovana Narayan decodes dance through stone in new book on karanas
Dancer Shovana Narayan explores the connection between ancient temple sculptures and contemporary Kathak dance in her new book, 'Speaking Sculptures'. She argues that these carvings represent living movement traditions rather than static poses.
Why it matters
The book provides a scholarly bridge between archaeology and performing arts, challenging traditional interpretations of Indian classical dance history.
The next time you walk through a museum or pause before the weathered sculptures of an ancient temple, look closely at the dancers carved into pillars, ceilings, and walls. What appears to be an elegant pose could have been caught in the middle of a movement from a dance performed centuries ago.
That is the premise of Speaking Sculptures: Karanas in Kathak, veteran Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan’s new book. Rather than treating temple sculptures as merely decorative art, she views them as repositories of movement, probing whether the karanas described in Bharata’s Natyashastra still survive in contemporary Kathak.
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