Scope and arrangement
The collection contains research projects, correspondence, biographical material, performance-related materials, memorial tribute correspondence, and a list of Darom's book collection. Correspondence with collaborators and writings give insight into Ari Darom's research subjects and methodology. Other items in the collection include a press review, announcements for his performances in India, and documents related to a memorial tribute organized by his associates in New York after his death. Finally, it includes a list of books acquired in India. The book collection was donated to the Dance Collection in a separate gift.
These papers reveal the various layers of dance tradition in India and the philosophy which raises it from a purely physical activity to a system of belief which has at its roots, thousands of years of collective insights and perceptions. Specifically, it addresses the Shaivite philosophy which manifests through the symbol of Nataraja, the Lord of dance and the cult of shakti or energy.