Abstraction: Moving Away from Linguistic Meaning
Publication information:
Abstract
This paper examines the first verse of the Drg Drsya Viveka alongside the Natyakramah verse of the Natyashastra to propose that gesture operates as an epistemic mediator within Indian aesthetic and philosophical traditions. By placing these texts in dialogue, it argues that gesture is not merely representational but pedagogical, guiding the spectator’s perception from external, visible forms toward a deeper, reflexive awareness. In this framework, embodied practices of seeing become central to the production of knowledge. The paper demonstrates how codified movement in performance functions as a disciplined mode of inquiry, training attention and perception to recognize the distinction between the seer and the seen. Ultimately, it suggests that gesture enacts a form of knowing that is neither purely intellectual nor purely sensory, but integrative—situating the body as a critical site where perception, cognition, and self-awareness converge.
Presenter Biography
Kaustavi Sarkar (Associate Professor) Founder of the Odissi Odyssey conference held annually at UNC Charlotte, Kaustavi Sarkar is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Dance with a dual career in professional Odissi performance; Odissi is an eastern Indian traditional Indian art form. In a recent review of a February 2025 performance in New Delhi, India, critic Ashish Mohan Khokar wrote that in her dance “one saw clarity of poses and emotional range,” while another performance (June 2025) review by journalist Tapati Chaudhuri notes: “Kaustavi Sarkar demonstrates brilliance in her use of learnt forms, particularly in Odissi and contemporary Indian dance.” Sarkar investigates virtuosity in dance-theater as fostered in traditional Indian aesthetics through her research on choreography and creative processes towards written as well as performed outcomes. 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. Her second book project Shaping S-Curves: Choreographic Process in Odissi is due to be published by University of North Carolina Press in April 2026. Sarkar is a leader in dance scholarship and founded the journal South Asian Dance Intersections. Her K-12 project combining dance, music, and drama has been recognized by National Dance Education Organization as well as National Association for Music Education, providing much needed credit, recognition, and appreciation for South Asian arts in mainstream arts education contexts.