Dance has been an integral part of mankind since time immemorial. Whenever we look at nature we find that it is full of rhythm and music. There is a pulse, a beat in everything living. Even our heart beat has a rhythm. Wherever there is rhythm, there is life and in life, dance is a celebration.
Since 1982, International Dance Day or World Dance Day, is celebrated on April 29. This is the day to celebrate the exuberance of the spirit and all that is vibrant, immensely beautiful, inundating the world with rhythm and the pulsating cosmic vibe of dance.
The International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute, started this initiative in 1982 to commemorate the art of dance. The International Dance Council (CID), a partner NGO of UNESCO works towards the objective to increase awareness and the importance of dance among the masses. It also aims to persuade governments all over the world to include dance in education. Every year on Dance Day, the CID President sends an official message to every country around the globe.
Dance, the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, accompanied by music or singing, has been used to express an idea or emotion, a story or a religious ritual or as a celebration or simply for the pleasure of the movement. It is not only entertaining for the spectator but is also gratifying for the performer as he/she pushes the body to its ultimate pinnacle. It is the act of releasing powerful emotions and energy – a transcendence.
Dance plays an important role in society as it fulfils a number of different functions, be it religious, military or social. Every culture has its own unique style— be it ballet, Indian classical dance or contemporary, salsa, hip-hop, jazz, etc to the whirling dervishes, they all create a bond between the dance, dancer and the viewer. On World Dance Day, several events are conducted with the purpose to provide more visibility and to establish larger communication between different streams and genres of dance, while retaining their original essence.
It is heartening to witness that World Dance Day has given a boost to dance related activities, which makes the future of dance and artistes very promising. It is also interesting to see the innovations in various dance forms as ideas intermingle and cultures blend to create newer dance routines. In India, classical dancing is highly evolved. The performing arts have been built on the tenets of Natyashastra , the ancient treatise of the sage Bharata Muni. Dance is a science viz-a-viz the body, mind and aesthetic senses. These aspects have been dealt with seriously and elaborately in the 6000 shlokas of the Natyashastra , which delves into the various aspects related to theatre, dance, music as well as literature and also encompasses stagecraft, stage design, makeup and a lot more. It deals with the theory of Rasa, the meanings conveyed by the performance (bhavas), abhinaya (acting), the movement of lips, eyes, hands (mudras), etc in great detail.
In India, dance largely celebrates life and so every region is home to some classical dance form, several folk as well as tribal dance forms. Each of them has their indigenous traits which makes them unique. They are replete with poetic content, lyrics, music, theatre, and a reflection of the most refined senses of human mind and consciousness. This confluence of all the three — sound, movement, and visual treat merge to become one enticing entity.
World Dance Day has given an impetus to Indian dance internationally thereby drawing attention and appreciation of its rich cultural heritage.
So, let’s dance, let’s celebrate.
(The author is a noted Odissi dancer)
