Overview:

Scholarship focuses on Indian dance and Religion; Gender performance; postcolonial implications on traditional dance; role-playing and expressive elements in Indian dance theatre, and Indian dance in the diaspora.

Education:

Ph.D. Performance Studies and Ethnography, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2000

MA in Dance Ethnology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1992

Specialties:

Performance Studies
Technique

Research Interests:

Performance Studies, Asian Dance and Theatre Performance, Dance Ethnography, Dance History and Theory, Gender in Performance, Dance and Religion, Asian dance Diaspora

  (More Professional Work and Scholarship)   Books

• Shah, Purnima, Documentary film, Dancing with the Goddess (2012)  [author's comments].
• Shah, Purnima, Editor, South Asia and South-east Asia Volume,, Encyclopedia of World Dance (2006-09)  [author's comments].
• Shah, Purnima, Garba Dance and Goddess Worship in Gujarat, India (in-progress) (2013)  [author's comments].

• Shah, Purnima, “Dance: 1200-1900 CE” Cultural Sociology of West, Central and South Asia., in Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia and Africa Encyclopedia. Sage Reference, vol. IV, part II (2012) .
• Shah, Purnima, Randala Ritual: Women's Heritage and Identity in Gujarat, India, in Ritual, Heritage and Identity: The Politics of Culture and Performance in a Globalized World, edited by Brosius, Christiane and Karin Polit (2011), New Delhi: Routledge .
• Shah, Purnima, Innovative Approaches in Contemporary Kathak Dance: a Choreographic Appreciation, Nartanam Journal of Indian Dance, vol. XI no. 3 (September, 2011), pp. 66-77 .
• Shah, Purnima, Some Issues on Gender Politics in the Bhakti Genre of Dance-Theatre Performance, Samipya Journal of Indology, vol. XXV no. 3-4 (October, 2009), pp. 1-33 .

• Choreography, Duke University, April 19, 2003
• Choreography, June 05, 2001
• Choreography, University of California, Riverside, April 28, 2001

• Odissi dance, November Dances, Reynolds Theatre, Duke University, November 20, 2010 - November 21, 2010
• Performance, Duke University, November 21, 2003 - November 22, 2003
• Performance, Renolds Theatre, Duke University, December 01, 2001
• Performance, University of California, Riverside, May 11, 2001

• “Representation of Shaivism and Vaishnavism in Indian classical Dance”, J.G School of Performing Arts (India)., August 21, 2010
• “Bhaktirasa and Madhurabhava in the Bhakti Genre of Indian Dance-Theatre”, B. J. Institute of Learning and Research (India)., August 12, 2010
• “Notions of femininity in the role of the Onnagata in Kabuki dance-theatre”, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Ethnomusicology, November 13, 2009
• “Devadasi Traditions in India and the Impact of Colonization”, J. G. School of Performing Arts (India), July 16, 2009
• “Research Methods in Dance”, Gujarat Vidyapith (India), December 05, 2008
• “Fieldwork research for Garba Dance”, Mansa Arts and Science College, Mansa (India), September 11, 2008
• “Dance and Music of South Asia”, World View Seminar for Teachers, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, March 16, 2006
• “Korean Shamanism and Buddhist ritual performance”, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, March 16, 2004
• “Temple Dancers of India: Tradition and Reform”, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, March 14, 2004
• “Roots of Hinduism in the Vedic Religion”, Hindu Students Association, Duke University, September 9, 2003
• “Abhinaya in Kathak dance”, World View Seminar for Teachers, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, March 10, 2003
• “Gender Ideologies in the Epics”, Indian-American Student Association at Duke University, November 15, 2002
• “Intercultural Translation: the Adaptation of Asian performance Disciplines in the West”, Center for Global Studies, Duke University, March 14, 2002
• “Bureaucracy and the Classical Dance in India”, University of California, Santa Barbara, March 07, 2002

• Keynote address, Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance. Kalanidhi Dance Festival and Conference., Toronto, Canada, March 17, 2011
• Interviewer, Dr. Richard Schechner (New York University). Erasing Borders: Festival of Indian Dance, Indo-American Arts Council and Asia Society,, New York, June 5, 2010
• Discussant, "Moving Traditions in Indian Dance", Erasing Borders Conference. Indo-American Arts Council and Asia Society, New York, June 04, 2010
• Planning Committee, Across the Threshold: Creativity, Being and Healing Symposium, Duke University, April 03, 2010
• Paper presentation, "Kathak Dance: Practice, Philosophy and Identity", International Kathak Dance Conference, University of Chicago, October 23 - 25, 2009
• Moderator, The State of Contemporary Dance in India and the Diaspora, Indian Classical Dance and Music Conference, North Carolina Central University, September 27, 2009
• Panelist, Digital Asia: Video Documentary, Association for Asian Studies Conference, Chicago, March 26-29 2009
• Panel Chair, Actor/Performer as Shaman., Across the Threshold: Creativity, Being, Healing Conference, Duke University, Durham, March 19-22, 2009
• Panel Chair, Ethnographic Issues in Dance., Society of Dance History Scholars Conference, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, June 23-25, 2008
• Moderator, Across the Threshold: Exploring Transformative Paths to Creativity and Healing, Across the Threshold: Creativity, Being, Healing Symposium, Duke University, Durham, February 23, 2008
• Conference on Gujarati Literature, Sayla, Gujarat, India, November 3-4, 2007
• Paper presentation, "Randala: Women's Ritual Performance in Gujarat, India.", Ritual, Heritage and Identity Conference, University of Heidelberg, Germany, June 14-17, 2007
• Panel Chair and Discussant, Dance as a Tool of Political Negotiation., Society of Dance History Scholars Conference, Banff Centre, British Columbia, Canada, June 16-18, 2006
• Society of Dance History Scholars Conference Board Meeting, American Council for Learned Societies, New York, October 19-21, 2006
• Paper presentation, :Performance of the Thumri in Kathak dance", Kathak at Crossroads Conference, San Francisco, Sept. 28 - 30, 2006
• Panelist, Global Identity and Indian Dance Traditions., Dance India: Choreographing Traditions International Conference, Columbia College, Chicago, September 08-10, 2006
• Panel Chair and Moderator, Kpanlogo and Dancing from the Center., Society of Dance History Scholars Conference, Northwestern University, June 9-12 2005
• Society of Dance History Scholars Conference Board Meeting, American Council for Learned Societies, New York, October 19-21, 2005
• Moderator, The Word on Music, Ethnomusicology Symposium Celebrating Duke University Press, Duke University, September 5, 2005
• paper presentation, "Crossing Borders: Performance of the "Asian" and "American" Identities among the Youth in the USA, Performance Studies International Conference, Brown University, March 31 - April 2, 2005
• Paper presentation, "New Directions in Indian Dance Diaspora.", Society of Dance History Scholars Conference, Duke University, June 18-20, 2004
• Society of Dance History Scholars Board meeting, American Council for Learned Societies, New York, November 19, 2004 - November 21, 2004
• Conferences, North Carolina Dance Alliance, Duke University, November 06, 2004
• Panelist and Moderator, Dancing the Legacy., North Carolina Dance Alliance Conference, Duke University, November 6, 2004
• Conferences, University of Chicago, October 08, 2004 - October 10, 2004
• Conferences, Society of Dance Histor Scholars, Duke University, June 18, 2004
• Conference - Panel Chair, Duke University, June 17, 2004 - June 20, 2004
• Conferences - Local Arrangements Chair, Duke University, June 17, 2004 - June 20, 2004
• Paper presentation: Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, October, 2003
• Society for Dance History Scholars, New York, October 10, 2003 - October 12, 2003
• Conference on South Asia., University of Wisconsin-Madison, October 10-13, 2002
• Society for Dance History Scholars Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, June 20, 2002

• Master Class, Kathak dance, North Carolina Dance Alliance, Duke University, November 6, 2004
• Master class, Kathak dance technique, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, March 17, 2004
• Master Class, Kathak dance, Dept. of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, January 31, 2004

• Odissi Dance Repertory, Duke University, August 30, 2010 - December 10, 2010
• Kathak dance workshop, Kumudini Lakhia, Duke University, September 25, 2003 - October 8, 2003
• Kathak Dance Repertory, Duke University, September 1 - December 5, 2003
• Workshops, UNC Chapel-Hill, March 13, 2003