This presentation explores the multi-layered research and development of a late 16th century Indian monastic performance tradition of male monks called Sattriya in Assam from a male oriented ritualistic art form to that of a female oriented classical concert art form by the multi-award winning Indian classical soloist, choreographer and ethnomusicologist Dr. Menaka PP Bora along with her mother-guru Indira P.P. Bora from India. Indira P.P. Bora, an internationally acclaimed classical dancer, is one of the first female pioneers to develop Sattriya tradition from the Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam and introduce it to global audiences from the 1970s onwards.

Using speech, music and live performances, Dr. Bora will explore her personal and professional journeys in re-creating the rarely seen 'Sattriya Dance Theatre' in both national and international dance scene.

Dr. Menaka PP Bora is a newly appointed Artist-in-Residence at University of Oxford after completing her research scholarships in Ethnomusicology at Faculty of Music, Oxford. Trained in Indian classical dance styles in India, ballet and contemporary dance at Laban Centre London, Menaka has won Sangeet Natak Akademi Yuva Puraskar (India's most prestigious National Award for young artists ). She has an MA in Transnational Communications and Global Media and a PhD in Ethnomusicology from Goldsmiths, University of London. She is an elected Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society. She was a finalist of BBC Radio 4's documentary award, The Journey of a Lifetime Award on the dancing monks of Majuli island in Assam. She has performed as a soloist in prestigious festivals and venues including the The Edinburgh Festival, Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in NYC and appeared as a Guest Speaker on BBC Radio's 'World music' programmes, Radio New Zealand and SBS National Radio in Australia among others.