Abstract

This thesis is a philosophical and performative investigation of the embodied practice of cyclical temporality used in Indian classical music and dance, called taala, including an argument against the ontological specificity of dance as ephemerality. Extending on cyclical phenomena in Indian thought, the temporal structure in Indian classical music and dance is both linear and cyclical, constructing a unique perception of time as a living entity. Through minimalist movement composition, choreographic exploration and the development of a dance work called Art of Time, I worked to support the arguments of taala and its entity-driven definition of time. By challenging the interpretation of time flowing linearly in my choreography, my discussion aims to transcend normative framings of time, body, and presence as seen in Western scholarship and dance writing, specifically liberating dance from its diagnosed ephemerality.