The World Dance Day – Year 2017
Celebration of Joy, ecstasy - Dance the medium to express inner self – the theme of dance, that unites all humanitarian races, as the World Celebrates another day in the Memoriam of the beautiful art – “ The World Dance Day”
Today dance is a social activity, which both relaxes and rejuvenates, having the power to impress upon and encourage a process of thinking amongst all, making people understand the best practices in life.
Transition of art over time has not been without heartaches too. One of the most decorated forms of expression of human emotions nevertheless traveled through a phase of social stigma, class and caste discrimination.
Withstanding all, it traveled through, faced all the odds with determination and reached the pinnacle of social acceptance. Each artist in himself or herself has put forth his/her self to be a part of a flow of the art from generation to generation.
When we come across the initiative of "dance as a healer," indeed it is a moment of pride for the art. Today, dance is the most respected of arts, and the strict discipline that goes into its learning is what eventually earns the artists, the respect for their hard work. This results from the fact that artists have made a place for the art in their hearts.
The beauty of this art which has dwelled since time was born has the unique aura that Captivates and Enthralls Human Imagination into a Physical or a Figurative Beauty that can be created through the medium of dance.
Dance today should be looked upon as an innovation, wherein the artists presentations are what they portray as a hypothesis situation of how beautiful our nature is, or how a complexity of life be resolved through application of simple virtues of Love and Kindness.
God created World, and God created Dance, so we the people of this World Express the beauty of nature and spread love and harmony amongst fellow beings.
Today as we stand across a revolution of time, modernizations of lives and living, it is really commendable of those of you fellow artists that we still are able to carve a niche for the art to exist in this modern world, and I would say further that you all have not just stopped at finding a place for art, but through your humblest of efforts and your devotional dedication to the art of dance, today this art has been alleviated in the civil society and it won’t be an overstatement that time and art of dancing will go hand in hand.
As we celebrate the festival of joy of dance, we can ponder on few aspects that really co-exists amongst the laurels of art – ARE SOME FORMS OF DANCE SLIPPING AWAY INTO THE PAGES OF THE EPIC ART ? A question we can answer in affirmative for now and through our efforts, learn some lessons and try and Care and Conserve what we are left with today, may be in future times this question loses out it relevance, and yes we can make that happen.
A Year since the last World Dance Day, today we bear the loss of Legends to Time, a vacuum that has been created, lives that lived an art, breathed it and worked so hard to propogate the art, the loss of icons of arts Singer music composer M Balamuralikrishna, Mohiniattam Guru Kalamandalam Chandrika, Odissi Guru Kanduri Charan Behera,Bharatanatyam Guru Neila Sathyalingam, Bharatanatyam dancer Pandanallur Jayalakshmi,Manipuri Guru Ranjana Jhaveri, Kuchipudi Guru Uma Rama Rao, they will continue to live through their arts forever. We pay our homage to the legendary artists through our services to the art of dance, and seek their blessings.
One of the wonderful achievements of dance has been that common people are able to relate themselves to the art, this has been possible through concentrated efforts undertaken by artists who have taken up the task of Mainstreaming the art, beyond spirituality dance has been making concentrated efforts to imbibe the mankind, through the themes which are similar to the complex challenges of life. A word of thanks will be too little to pay gratitude for the artists who believe in spreading the art amongst the common people.
It is very well accepted fact today that dance as a carrier of messages on social issues have had greater acceptance and synthesis amongst the people who are a target recipient of such messages.
Dance’s feathered cap bears this one too – Dance as part of therapy, successfully proven, not just in healing, in health as well, dance has become an integral part of happy and healthy life. With the modern times the advancement in technology human physical efforts are shrinking, this is leading to undesirable physical and health status, here too dance has stepped up to provide solutions not just the soul but the body as well.
Did we know the impact of classical music on growth of plants, the soothing effect has been researched further, the positive vibes it creates, it is a must to experience it. We are living in stressed times, and such music brings in calmness in our lives. The effects of listening to classical music is relaxation, your mind is freshened up , you do your best as students and in all spheres of life.
Over the period of time there are certain areas where we need to ponder to safe guard the authenticity of an art which is built on the premise of devotion, dedication, sincere practice and hard work. Thanks to individuals who bank upon the popularity of the art. In the age of instant gulab jamun mix, you have the possibility of becoming a performing artist just in no time. Hugely compromising on the very premises on which the art has built itself up. Going away from the traditional Guru Shishya Parampara, they are indeed doing a lot of harm for the aspirant as well as the art. Guru is a word these days is loosely used in some cases, you will find a learning guru who will teach you too, this phenomena is called earn while you learn, a dangerous thing for art. A dentist cannot be a ENT specialist, a dancer of one form if have not undergone the proper training and education should not become a teacher of another form. They can save the unsuspecting pupils. The ignorance of Parent’s cannot be blamed. Fast buck , we were struck no limits to learn things as they are happening, can you believe it a Rangapraveesham fee for an individual student is little less than 400,000/- demanded by their mentor, definitely they are their mentor if not in making them a artist but otherwise. Such huge fees per artist in a bunch of half a dozen artists, who will perform their Rangapraveesham together on the stage an event of 2 hours. Definitely an IPL player can be purchased with such sums of moneies. Some times we do come across signboards – “ Beware of touts”, well well. Cashical dance of India is how you spell Classical dance of India ?
Some dance programmes on T.V. do not keep the age of the participant, very young children are seen performing raunchy numbers in front of cheering audience. I would like to quote Pandit Birju Maharaj, talking at the 117th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, ICCR had organized a festival, “ The Spirit of Banaras”, Pandit ji critized dance shows on television , “ these dance shows do not teach anything , rather it takes them away from our rich culture.”
Looking back again how lives are getting enhanced due to art, we salute those who have choosen art over other career in these days of dual career, necessary for survival today , they are indeed doing a fine balancing act, a learning from practicing dance.
Our heart goes out to those who are physically challenged. Their dedication and hardwork have been witnessed with the performances they are able to put up, we can hardly believe what our eyes witness, with their sheer dedication they can accomplish being a wonderful artists.
To all the artists we take this opportunity to Wish you all a Very Very Happy World Dance Day, further wish that in Company of the Art you have achieved the wonderful opportunity to serve God.
Thank you
Pandithar Sivakumar Perumal & Dr. Lakshmi Sivakumar
Unedited
PriyaLasya, (C), Do Not Copy, Copyrights Acknowledged 
Donovan Roebert - Rasa in Classical Dance
Shruti Parthasarathy
