Asia is becoming an important cultural force in the twenty first century. For those engaged in performance arts, and Indian classical dance forms in particular, Dance Routes has completed a seven-year research project from which it has created a teaching method for Odissi from a contemporary perspective. Workshops have been devised that approach Odissi holistically. They not only address its movement technique, but also its philosophy, religion, history, culture and current issues. The introduction of a discipline such as choreological studies creates useful links to mainstream western dance education, where artistic self-exploration is a priority. In India this has a special significance because dance students are rarely trained to give form to individual self-expression.