Indian Contemporary Dance Creative Practice Programme
Move beyond imitation and find your own style in movement. Learn Indian contemporary dance online with working artists. Build original choreography and perform your own work.
Online + 5-day residential
3 Months
What This Contemporary Dance Course Offers
Entri’s 3-month online programme helps intermediate dancers move from performing others' choreography to creating their own. Powered by Mamangam – The School of Dance, the programme offers live online classes, recorded videos, mentor feedback and a final public performance. All this comes with certification and career guidance to support your next step.
Live online classes + recorded videos
Expert Mentorship Support
Course certification
Choreography development and feedback
Final public performance
Professional project proposal
Key Skills Covered in the Contemporary Dance Course
Build the movement, creative and production skills to work as an independent contemporary artist.
Career Paths
Step into the world of contemporary performance with roles like
Independent Dancer / Performer
Perform in productions and projects as a freelance contemporary artist.
Choreographer
Create original works for the stage, events and collaborations.
Dance Creator / Movement Artist
Develop your own movement language across stage, site and screen.
Performing Arts Project Collaborator
Join theatre, music and dance projects as a movement collaborator.
Interdisciplinary Performance Practitioner
Blend dance with music, lighting, visual design and other art forms.
Dance Educator / Workshop Facilitator
Teach classes and workshops, depending on your qualifications and experience.
Independent Creative Project Developer
Plan, budget and pitch your own creative projects with a professional proposal.
Course Structure
A 3-month, 36-module curriculum. It moves from foundations and history to choreography, production skills and a final public performance.
- Origins and critical history of Indian Contemporary Dance
- Body anatomy, alignment and postural awareness
- Nutrition, stamina and dancer wellbeing
- Kalaripayattu principles, stances and sequences
- Classical Indian movement vocabulary - mudras, stances
and eye movements - Bridging classical and contemporary movement
- Fundamentals of Indian Contemporary Dance technique
- Rhythm, musicality and footwork
- Structured improvisation and spatial awareness
- Strength conditioning, flexibility and recovery
- Movement journaling and reflective practice
- Assessment: Filmed movement phrase + 400-word
written reflection.
- Principles of movement composition
- Abhinaya theory, Navarasas and expressive tradition
- Presence, gaze and performative state
- Devising prompts and movement generation
- Developing a choreographic concept
- Structuring, editing and dramaturgical thinking
- Peer feedback and work-in-progress sharing
- Artist statement and process documentation
- Acting, character and narrative in movement
- Stage lighting design and technical rider
- Scenography, costume design and visual integration
- Assessment: 3-5 minute choreographic study + 500-word essay.
- Event production, budgeting and project planning
- Copyright, contracts and intellectual property
- Marketing, audience development and social media for artists
- Working with musicians and interdisciplinary artists
- Performance conditioning, warm-up and mental preparation
- Professional project proposal workshop
- Day 1: Technical Production and Design
- Day 2: Body, Technique and Choreography
- Day 3: Creation, Feedback and Midweek Sharing
- Day 4: Production, Performance Prep and Project Proposal
- Day 5: Final Public Performance and Programme Closing
Read & Learn
Contemporary dance is all about blending modern dance, ballet, a bit of improvisation and some really cool moves on the floor to give voice to emotions and tell stories.
In Indian contemporary dance, this means mixing up classical forms like Bharatanatyam, Kalarippayattu and yoga, with global techniques and incorporating all of this into your body, culture and life experiences.
In India, contemporary dance presents a wide variety of career paths. This can be stage performances, choreography, teaching, arts production, conducting research and creating digital content.
Eligibility
Open to intermediate dancers aged 18 and above with several years of training in any dance form, who are ready to move from performing to creating.
Age 18 or above
This programme is open to adult learners only.
A trained dance background
Several years of regular training in a classical, folk, contemporary, commercial, hip-hop or freestyle form.
Intermediate movement skills
Comfort with intermediate movement, stamina, floor work, partnering and weight-sharing.
Basic setup
A smartphone or camera, stable internet and a clear practice space for live classes and filmed assessments.
Why Live Online Classes
Real-time feedback
Get faculty corrections on your movement, along with technique and choreography as you work.
A small, focused cohort
Train alongside 10 to 20 learners and grow through peer feedback.
Instant doubt clearing
Ask questions on technique and creative choices while the session is running.
Guided creative process
Move from first idea to finished piece with regular faculty guidance.
Steady practice
Regular live sessions help you build a steady practice and stay on track.
Recordings to revisit
Revisit recorded videos anytime to review sequences and concepts.
Expert Trainers
Train with choreographers and dance trainers who bridge classical, Kalaripayattu and contemporary practice and guide you from first idea to final performance.
Santosh Madhav
Choreographer and Dancer | Programme Lead
Senior dancer and choreographer with Attakkalari Repertory Company, Bangalore, since 2007. Trained in Kalaripayattu, Bharatanatyam, Ballet and Capoeira, and has toured widely in India and abroad.
Anuraj Rajendran
Dancer, Choreographer & Teacher
Senior dancer and choreographer with Attakkalari Repertory Company, Bangalore, since 2007. Trained in Kalaripayattu, Bharatanatyam, Ballet and Capoeira, and has toured widely in India and abroad.
Poojitha Menon K
Bharatanatyam and Contemporary Dance Trainer
Bharatanatyam-trained, with a Master's in Performing Arts from the University of Hyderabad. She helps dancers connect classical vocabulary with contemporary practice.
Key Learning Outcomes
Original choreographic work
Develop and perform your own original choreographic work in public.
A personal movement language
Blend Kalaripayattu, classical and contemporary techniques into a style of your own.
Practical choreography skills
Gain hands-on experience in devising, feedback, rehearsal and production.
Production know-how
Understand lighting, costume, scenography and technical riders.
A movement journal
Create and maintain a movement journal to reflect on and refine your practice.
An artist statement
Prepare a professional artist statement with supporting documentation.
A production plan and budget
Develop a production plan and budget for your own project.
A professional project proposal
Write a professional project proposal with marketing copy and a covering letter.
Public performance experience
Gain experience presenting original work in a public performance setting.
Indian Contemporary Dance Course — FAQs
Advantages of Learning from Entri
Elevate Learning Experience
Live online faculty sessions
Learn with working artists in real time
Recorded videos
Revisit any lesson, anytime
Mentorship support
Personal guidance from faculty and mentors
Choreography feedback
Faculty and peer input on your work
Student support
Quick help with course and learning queries
Industry networking
Connect with guest artists and specialists
Technical production exposure
Learn stage lighting from specialists
Career Support
Career guidance
Clear direction on dance and creative career paths
Live profile building
Build your artist profile with expert guidance
Project proposal support
Craft a proposal with marketing copy
Audience interaction
Post-show conversations after your performance
Get Industry-ready with Dedicated Career Support
- Perform an original piece in public and finish with filmed work for your portfolio.
- Hold a professional artist statement, production plan and budget ready for your projects.
- Leave with a project proposal, marketing copy and covering letter to pitch collaborators.
- Gain the confidence to work as an independent performer, choreographer or movement artist.
- Earn a programme completion certificate and career guidance for your next step.
Who Can Apply for this Course
- Intermediate dancers aged 18 and above
- Classical dancers trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi or Chhau
- Kalaripayattu practitioners
- Contemporary, hip-hop, commercial and freestyle dancers Folk dancers who want to explore new movement
- Folk dancers who want to explore new movement
- Performing arts students
- Emerging choreographers and independent artists
- Dance teachers and workshop facilitators who want to grow their creative practice
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