Nayana will be offering periodical studio sessions to Salzburg-based dancers as a part of her research "Unpacking Bharatanatyam", which is a practice of this classical Indian dance form through a contemporary approach, outside of its originating cultural context. The intention of this practice is to create doorways between classical and contemporary points of view, where the forms can inform and empower each other.

Bharatanatyam, originally known as Sadhir, is a living cultural practice, evolved and influenced by centuries of knowledge-sharing through hereditary practitioners in India. It was performed in the Hindu temples and courts for centuries, until its practice was banned by the colonial British government in India in the early 20th century.

The dance form saw a post-colonial revival in the mid-20th century outside of the Hindu temples by non-hereditary performers, which continues till date as the form that is practised and recognised all across India and in the diaspora around the globe. However, through this revitalisation, the form was fundamentally altered in its content and style, with the legacy taken away from the very people that kept it alive for centuries.

The vocabulary of this dance form is a complex mix of pure dance, characterised with geometric lines and forms; narrative elements through intricate hand gestures and facial expressions; all weaved together with rhythmically tight musical compositions.

Nayana’s artistic practice has been deeply influenced and fundamentally shaped by this art, which she actively examines. While Nayana moved away from the traditional form of Bharatanatyam already at the beginning of her career 18 years ago, her curiosity in studying the basic principles of this form has persisted.

At this point, Nayana returns to the movement vocabulary of Bharatanatyam, looking at it from the lenses of her contemporary dance practice and experience.