Scope and arrangement
The Indrani Rahman papers contain choreographic notes, correspondence, lectures, programs, research materials and writings from nearly 50 years of the dancer's career. The choreographic notes are arranged by name and style where possible. Users should consult the general files for unlabeled or fragmented notes. The remainder of the notes are arranged by style - Bharata Natyam or Odissi. Notes contain drawings, time markings, and other diagrams Indrani used to describe the many dances used in her performance, both with her mother's company and then later on her own. The bulk of the notes are handwritten. Correspondence is limited and mostly consists of plans for Indian dance recitals.
The lecture notes are typed and have the text Indrani (or sometimes a speaker) would deliver at dancing demonstrations. These include explanations of the style of dance, which dancers would be performing, who arranged or choreographed each dance, and the story line of the dance itself if applicable. These notes will be helpful for use in tandem with the choreographic notes which contain none of this background information.
Programs are often undated handouts showing an evening's performance schedule. Research materials consist of Indian dance publications, notebooks, and other study aides. Indrani's writings include articles she submitted for publication. Most of the articles are written with the intent of explaining Indian dance to western audiences.
Arrangement
Alphabetical by subject.