Dr Swarnamalya Ganesh, Associate Professor of Practice, Literature and Global Arts, SIAS, served as a mentor for the Baari Dance Festival 2025, held from 12–14 December in Chennai—a weekend celebrating dance, dialogue, and meaningful collaborations. She also facilitated a workshop titled ‘Courting Cultures’ at the festival, where she explored the cosmopolitan past of early modern South India, tracing the multicultural influences embedded within Sadir. Drawing on interactions with Islamic lineages, as well as Persian, Dakhni, Marathi, West Asian, and European traditions, the workshop highlighted how South India’s artistic practices are deeply interconnected and collectively inherited.
