Indian classical dance is a remarkable source of knowledge about the culture of the Indian Peninsula. Admired in theatres, community centres, at festivals, and Hindu temples across the world, the current form of this dance is a product of multiple cultures and ‘bodily tools’ developed over the centuries of people’s migrations. Indian classical dance also says a lot about its performer. Does it matter who practices it? What processes take place in the body of a modern Western dancer who studies the Indian classical dance? Is her body prepared to accommodate a dance such as odissi or bharatanatyam? To what extent? Shaped by Western techniques and placed in modern reality, the body is hardly a blank slate. It needs to adapt to a new form. Can the history of ancient temple dancers be reflected in the body of a modern European dancer? This article analyses the author’s learning process of two Indian classical dances, primarily odissi and also bharatanatyam. In her study she approaches her own body as the object of research, applying Richard Shusterman’s concept of somaesthetics, or body consciousness, as the theoretical background.