Multiculturalism and Indian dance in higher education

The basis of this thesis is that the rich heritage of Indian classical dance has formed only an insignificant part of American dance education. Research has shown that although in structure the United States of America is one of the largest multicultural nations, the educational policy continues to maintain a Euro centric focus. Placing the study of Indian dance within the context of multicultural education, the thesis examines its current practice in dance education. In considering methods to improve its study, the thesis examines mainstream perspectives to Indian dance studies, efforts of the Indian dance community, and a methodology that integrates traditional and contemporary teaching practices. Furthermore, to make the study of Indian dance comprehensive and meaningful, the thesis explores the viability of an interdisciplinary approach to its study.