“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free-” Rumi
The world celebrates International Dance Day today and dance is a word that in the dictionary has a meaning but no definition. Each individual has his own definition of dance or maybe dance is undefinable. Dance comprises rhythm, expression, body movement and a deep connection with the soul and heart. For some, dance is a stress buster, for others, it’s a way to earn their livelihood but for a few.. dance is passion.
Dance has been an important part of all rituals, ceremonies and celebrations. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once”. Dance is the hidden language of the soul, a poem which has movement in every word.
With the confluence of various dance forms, varuous styles have become interpretative rather than following structured classicism. The coming together of Western and Indian cultures has created our own versions of contemporary ballet, jazz, aqua dancing and aqua aerobics.
Today the focus is on self-expression, no matter what the form. Different expressions and rhythms are experimented with freely and fearlessly.. A form can be redefined in many ways.
Krupali khakar (26) a dance choreographer, says, “Dance is a big part of my life. From waking up to getting dressed to eating to walking and in everything that I do, I feel I’m dancing. Any activity that includes body movements and expressions is dance for me.” Being a classical contemporary ballet dancer herself, she has performed 40 shows in 27 cities in just a period of one month. Her team, ELAN, voiced its angst against female foeticide through dancing.
She says, “I respect each and every dance style. For me, my own culture is the bedrock. Leaning and sharing is a part of living. Though I’ve learnt a lot of Western dance forms but in the end, it all comes down to classical indian dancing for me. The mudras and expressions and rhythms connect my soul to compassion and adds a different meaning to my life.”
For Nishant Valia (21) dance means freedom, “Dance is madness. It sets you free from all your inhibitions. It’s like pouring out all your emotions without talking. It frees me from all my worries and gives a sense of joy that nothing else does. It’s not the appreciation but yourself and your soul that you should dance for.”
He says, “Dance brings a balance to life It’s connects the past with the present and the future. It is eternal.”