THE FACETS OF DANCE REVISITED IN THE NĀṬYAŚA̅STRA AND THE ABHINAYA DARPANA

Abstract

In this paper, an attempt has been made to contextualize the differences and similarities that could be gauged in the two iconic texts related to the performing tradition in early India, namely, the Nāṭyas̕āstra and the Abhinaya Darpana. The paper first explores the kind of works that surround the two works, the questions that have been asked pertaining to the two texts and the way the Nāṭyas̕āstra and the Abhinaya Darpana have been used to reconstruct aspects of dance in the early Indian context.