ABSTRACT
A piece on South Asian dance and Higher Education could be approached in a number of ways. One could, for instance, start by arguing that dance in general, let alone South Asian, is hardly significant in contemporary British society and barely established at university level. One could then continue by presenting a survey of all the courses and workshops which incorporate South Asian dance in one form or another, and conclude that, although a great deal more still needs to be done, the achievements thus far should be celebrated. Such a piece might be a valuable documentation, but hardly visionary. My intention here is to raise broader issues which are significant for Dance Studies in general. Whilst this piece focuses on and takes its examples from British institutions, the issues it raises – eurocentrism and racism in particular – hold true for most dance departments concentrating on Western theatre dance around the world.
