As we all know it is that time of the year when dance is celebrated as an art worldwide. The International Dance Day is a global celebration of dance, created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO. The event takes place every year on 29th April, the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the creator of modern ballet. The day strives to encourage participation and education in dance through events and festivals held on the date all over the world. UNESCO formally recognizes the week as World Dance Day celebration week.
Indian Dance is one of the key dance cultures which has made us one of the most remarkable industries all over the world. Classical dance, also known as South Asian Cultural dance, has found its place for its unique technique, storytelling aspects, and culturally bound traditions. Today in India we have 7 recognized classical dance forms and unknown folk forms. Indian dancers are finding new ways to interject the westernized techniques to co-create their own format, because of which we also represent the world’s best contemporary and best class oriental performers across the globe.
To celebrate the spirit of this vast culture, Indian Dancers have evolved their horizons in exploring movements and creating a language to communicate culture, social issues, politics, campaigns, causes, customer service, and data analysis. We have a repository of classical dances such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Kathakali, Odissi, Satria and a list of more repertoires such as Vilasini Natyam, Andra Natyam, Kerala Nadam, Gaudia Nritya and Rabindra Nritya which are equally potent to be listed as a traditional dance of India.
While traditional dance forms are debatable, one can’t stop noticing the richness of our own folk traditions like Lavani, Chau, Gotipua, Garbha, and Ghoomar which bring the Bhakti bhava of the traditional repertoires. India also has the best amalgamation of dance and performance art in traditional temple ritual dance forms like Buta Kolla, Teeyam, Poturaju, and Koragaja Natyam.
While the traditionalism is flourishing, artists are finding new ways or paths of dance with neo-Bharatam, expressionist dance, Sufiyattam, Fleminco Natyam, Tranz-Natyam, Butohnatyam and many more forms of dance can be seen flourishing within this land of art. However, the rush of being perfect in one tradition flourishes. Being a traditionally rich country, we are still fighting the westernization effect among the youth and the reason is, we are just seeing dance forms as different and not as united.
As a call for action regarding this regressive situation of diminishing arts in the youth, ‘Sas3’s dancing feet’, a dance consulting/concepts organization created by Patruni Sastry in collaboration with Natya Swara, Nritya forum for performing arts, and Face of Artz brought a unique extravaganza of dancers, dance forms and dance culture into one platform .
These organizations came up with an event for “World Dance Day Celebration” which witnessed a marathon of more than 15 dance forms at one space including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Mohiniattam, Odissi and unknown forms, such as Gaudiya Nritya, Rabindra Nritya, Dasiattam, Lavani and Perini.
This platform is also brought western dance forms like Oriental, Belly, Butoh, Bachata, Rumba, Hip-hop, Tutting etc. “We have Hyderabad’s best dancers together including Anita Peter, Alekya Mangalampalli, Patruni Sastry, Vaidehi Subhash, Preeti Mohapatra, Sashmita Mishra, Sri Manaswini, Kashinath, Pujita Krishna and many others under one roof,” says Patruni, an expressionist dancer from Hyderabad who co-organised this event.
As a part of the agenda, the event also offered tribute performances to legendary dancers like Rukmini Devi, Nataraja Ramakrishna, and Rabindranath Tagore, who have given us a legacy of art to cherish.
