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 Launch of the 3rd edition of SADI- South Asian Dance Intersections - Bibin Balan e-mail: punarjjaniculturalcentre@gmail.com Photos: Arundhati Chakrabarty February 10, 2025 The launch of the third edition of the online journal, South Asian Dance Intersections (SADI) was successfully organised on 5th February 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The event brought together leading scholars, dancers, and filmmakers to discuss and celebrate the evolving landscape of South Asian dance. Organized by Dr. Arshiya Sethi, Editor-in-Chief of SADI and her Kri Foundation, the event explored the high quality research on South Asian Dance and its interdisciplinary intersections.  Kri Foundation, established in 2003, is a not-for-profit organization working in the Arts, social development, and knowledge creation. It is renowned for pushing boundaries in artistic themes, collaborations, and technology. Through awareness campaigns, legal advocacy, and training, it collaborates with communities, government, and civil society to drive social change while ensuring the sustainability of the arts. SADI, an initiative by South Asian scholars and dance practitioners, emerged during the pandemic as a feminist, progressive, open-access, and double-blind peer-reviewed journal hosted at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The word SADI, meaning 'ours' in Punjabi, reflects its ethos - fostering inclusivity and diverse voices in South Asian dance scholarship, artistic explorations, and social activism. The first edition (2022) of South Asian Dance Intersections (SADI) explored 'Dance and the Political' and 'Dance and the Pandemic,' examining how the pandemic reshaped performance practices and digital engagement while addressing dance's role in activism and resistance. The second edition (2023) delved into democracy, nationalism, and censorship in dance, analyzing how political forces shape artistic freedom, the role of digital platforms in democratizing dance, and the growing impact of socio-political restrictions on performances. The third edition (2025) features a rich collection of essays, interviews, and visual content that examine various aspects of dance pedagogy, South Asian dance traditions and contemporary practices. The event commenced with welcome remarks by Rama Vaidyanathan, Bharatanatyam exponent, also founder trustee of Kri Foundation. She highlighted the foundation's commitment to promoting the arts and fostering meaningful discussions on dance and culture. Prof. Kaustavi Sarkar, the Journal Manager and driving force behind SADI, addressed the audience highlighting the journal's role in bridging the gap between academic research and artistic practice. Afterwards Dr. Arshiya Sethi took the stage to share the editorial vision behind this edition. She underscored the need to document South Asian dance traditions, collaborations, and evolving narratives.  Tushar Nongthombam, Aadya Kaktikar, Sumedha Bhattacharya One of the highlights of the evening was a special presentation and film screening by filmmaker Tushar Nongthombam from Manipur. His work provided a compelling visual exploration of dance and movement in the socio-political context of the region. Following the screening, Prof Aadya Kaktikar from Shiv Nadar University presented insights from her essay in the latest edition of SADI, focusing on hierarchies in dance. She highlighted the significance of Guru Parampara, stating that it is not about imitating the past but standing on the shoulders of legends to leap into the future. Her speech was followed by Sumedha Bhattacharya from Jindal Global University, who presented her photo essay, IMKAAN, created with Hadiyeh Azma. The event took a fascinating turn with a special presentation by Shushant Gaurav, who showcased elements of 'purana andaaz ka Kathak' from the Lucknow-Lahore gharana. His work was based on an in-depth interview conducted by Dr. Ajay Joshi, which has been featured in this edition of SADI.  Release of 3rd ed of SADI by Prof Amrit Srinivasan The much-anticipated official release of the third edition of SADI was officiated by Prof. Amrit Srinivasan, former Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Delhi, in the presence of contributing scholars and artists. Prof. Srinivasan applauded the journal's efforts in promoting serious discourse around South Asian dance studies. Following the launch, an engaging panel discussion on 'Issues Faced by Dance Studies' was conducted. The conversation featured Prof. Urmimala Sarkar (senior board member of SADI and former Dean of Dance Studies at JNU) and Prof. Anita Cherian (Dean, School of Culture and Creative Expression, Dr. Ambedkar University, Delhi). Their discussion delved into the challenges of dance documentation, institutional support for dance research, and the evolving nature of performance studies in South Asia. The discussion was followed by an interactive Q&A session with the audience.  Prof Urmimala Sarkar & Prof Anita Cherian The launch of the third edition of South Asian Dance Intersections was not just an academic event but also a celebration of the diverse and rich traditions of South Asian dance. With such impactful initiatives, the Kri Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to support the arts, social development, and knowledge creation, both in India and globally.  Bibin Balan, Managing Editor of Punarjjani Bharat, is working on cultural advancement based on digital media platforms. His area of focus is on promotion of performing arts and digital contents under this category. He is a Yoga Educator based in New Delhi since 2008. |
