Books Recommendations « Shakti Bhakti

Odissi and Indian Dance Books

The following are some of my favorite books. Each of these books had touched me, inspired me, or educated me at some point on my journey with Indian dance. I recommend these whole heartedly.

Odissi Dance Pathfinder Vol. 1 (Illustrated)
Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar.
Third Edition, 2005. Paper Cover.

>This book lays the fundamental principles of Odissi Dance, and it is an excellent resource for the beginner and advanced Odissi student.

Odissi Dance Path Finder Vol. 2 (Illustrated)
Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar.
First Edition, 2005. Paper Cover.

>This book lays the fundamental principles of Odissi Dance, and it is an excellent resource for the beginner and advanced Odissi student.

The mirror of gesture, being the Abhinaya darpana of Nandikeśvara (1917) Paperback (Oct. 21, 2009) by Nandikesvara

> A treatise written in third or fourth century ce by Nandikeshvara. This text’s main focus is the techniques of communication in dance, and is widely followed by South Indian dance forms. It is a small book that includes many of the key aspects of Odissi technique, such as hands, eye, neck, and head movements.

The Gitagovinda of Jayadeva, Love Song of the Dark Lord [Paperback]

Barbara Stoler Miller [Author]

This is my favorite translation of the Gitagovind, the famous poetic work that is the subject of the majority of Odissi dance Choreographies. Studying the Gitegovind is instrumental in gaining a deeper understanding of Odissi dance.

Neo Classical Odissi Dance [Hardcover]

Ratna Roy [Author], David J Capers [Illustrator]

This book includes valuable, and rare to come by information about the history of Odissi, as well as other classical dances of India. It offers more insight into the tradition and roots of Odissi dance then any other book I read in the field.