Introduction

It is important to first clarify the two underlying concepts-aesthetics and transformation, in order to work productively with the concept of transformative aesthetics. In the European/Western tradition, the transformative potential of art is addressed within the purview of at least three key paradigms-the aesthetics of impact, the aesthetics of autonomy and reception aesthetics. Opponents and supporters of theatre throughout the ages repeatedly appealed to the transformative potential of art, particularly of performance, which was to be either rejected or encouraged. The notion of the autonomy of art did not mean renouncing art's transformative potential. The experience of aesthetic pleasure can be described as a liminal state, whereas the energy emanating from the performer functions as a transformative force. The transformative power of the bhakti movement here resulted in not the religious but the political interconnectedness of all participants, strengthening their sense of belonging to a national community and their will to independence.