Institute of Performing Arts Thanjavur

Abstract

Bharatanatyam, most widely known and revered style of Indian classical dances has a history of over 2,000 years. This sacred art originated in Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu and it has evolved over time. The significant physical components, dancer and her immediate architecture setting are intertwined with one another. Dance defines the kinetic exploration of space in time, while architecture embodies the dance form. Bharatanatyam has evolved in parallel with its architectural identity. This led to the fracturing and abstraction of dance and its setting in its modern form. Its integrity has diminished with time. Recognizing that in the midst of globalization the art form is thriving but at the same time the traditional dance is being diluted, the integrity of the dance has been lost and must be revitalized. This has been accomplished with an architectural approach in the form of a self-contained institutional campuses which provides an opportunity to explore contemporary aesthetics. The spatial expansion of dance culture is a vital tool for building a community. They reconstruct community conventions of dance and music into centres of cultural identity. Guru-Shishya Parampara is the propagation process in the pedagogy of the art form, which has diminished with time. The organization also strives to rejuvenate the ancient oral practices of transmitting the cultural knowledge that establishes a sacred bond between the guru and the disciple. The architecture of teaching, performing and experiencing the dance needs to contain multi-sensorial experience in order to sustain a consistency in the collective creative culture. These changing principles ought to be consistently reflected on the cultural institutions and contemporary performance spaces. The thesis aims to understand the tangible and intangible aspects that will enhance the spatial experience and craft of design, which are the medium for the manifestation of cultural resonance. And present a design model that reflects significant amalgamation and integration of architecture, culture and moral languages.