We embody dance from the time we are born. A baby moving its legs and arms is dance in its own way. This is one art form that aligns the body, mind, and soul, and combines it with the joy of storytelling. While not all dance forms are theatrical in the context of storytelling, all are forms of expression. From Hip-Hop—a voice against racial oppression, and Waacking—a form of inclusion and expression for the queer community, to Ballet—lavish spectacles for the nobles, and Kuchipudi—a storytelling experience: dance has found its way into everyone’s lives. Whether it is a layperson immersing themselves in the storytelling, or a performer who has finally found a way to express themselves with vulnerability, dance has touched all.
Art, being a reflection of the artiste’s life, the time they live in, and the society, is ever-evolving. Surviving multiple rapids and turbulences, each form rises like a phoenix at the end of every dark era, showing the world a path to light.
Among multiple forms, classical dances hold a special place in everyone’s heart, owing to the whole emotional experience they provide. This International Dance Day, we speak to prominent classical dancers to understand the evolution of forms, where dance stands in society currently, and its future.
“Indian art forms have survived the test of time as they provide a lot more than just a performance. It is beyond the number of high jumps or leaps an artiste can do; it provides an experience where the audience always goes back with something. This is because we base our forms on a whole civilisation, and an exchange of centuries of knowledge,” says Padma Shri Ananda Shankar Jayant, a Bharatanatyam exponent.
One of the most interesting changes she has observed in dance as a performative form is the shift from solo performances to group renditions. “The audience wants larger-than-life visual spectacles and cinematic experiences,” Ananda Shankar notes. She says this is a by-product of institutionalised training, shorter attention spans, and the change in patronage. “To be able to survive as a solo artiste is a long haul. It requires a huge support system, which doesn’t exist in the dance world.”
Earlier, community temples and kings were patrons of the arts. This then transitioned to sabhas (a community of connoisseurs), and now to “presenters” with whom dancers collaborate and perform for events. It became about what is more visible and attractive, leading to an increase in ensemble performances.
On the brighter side, Ananda Shankar says that these group performances allow dancers of all levels of skill and practice to showcase their art. “It also allows the recreation of historic episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata in a spectacular manner. In a way, it is also like going back to the Natyashastra, which spoke of the first performance being a group presentation of Samudra Manthan.”
On similar lines, Archana Misra, a Kathak artiste, says that earlier, dance was all about subtlety and simplicity—which is also what audiences enjoyed. Now, as the pace of our lives has increased, the speed of choreographies also followed a similar pattern.
While Ananda Shankar and Archana note differences in performance and vocabulary aspects, Sandhya Raju, a Kuchipudi dancer, observes a change in the kind of choreographies. “The ancient compositions were unhindered by the label of being true to Kuchipudi. They were not inhibited by labels and comparisons to be similar or uniquely different from the other classical forms,” Sandhya notes.
Taking us through a timeline, she explains that post-independence, we labelled forms as Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam, Perini, etc, to reconnect with our roots. “While labelling has served its purpose, the obsession with being true to a form and frowning upon blending of ideas, movements, and music serves no purpose in the future development of dance as an art form,” Sandhya shares.
Drawing a contrast, Archana believes that incorporating elements of other forms has led to Kathak losing its natural essence. “Earlier, only traditional instruments like tabla, pakhawaj, flute, and sitar were used. Now, people are also doing choreographies on western instruments like guitar and even beatboxing. This change I believe has happened because of commercialisation of the art form, and people in the ‘dance business’ who primarily want to make money from it. On the other hand, these fusions are taking Indian classical dance forms to the rest of the world,” she explains.
Mangala Bhatt, another Kathak dancer, talks about how the essence of the form has changed with time. “When it was performed in temples, it was all about bhakti rasa. When the form moved to courts, it became more about sringara rasa to please the kings and noblemen. The platform has also changed — from temples to proscenium stages. This newer format requires the dancer to focus on complementary aspects like lighting, sound, choreography, and stagecraft.”
While every artiste has subjective interpretations of the evolution of their respective forms and of dance in general, one belief that brings everyone together is the conviction of an even brighter future. Everyone has different paths and opinions on how we must change, but the destination is the same.
Change always starts from the younger generations. Continuing on this thought Ananda Shankar says that dance must be incorporated in formal education, “Not as an annual day extra-curricular, but as a set module like Maths.” She observes that more people are learning the form, and this slope should only go upwards. “It doesn’t matter whether you want to pursue it professionally, as a side hustle, a serious hobby, or even something you do for yourself. If you learn it, you will always at least be a good connoisseur.” She also urges audiences to start paying to watch classical performances just as they would for a movie.
Building on the same thought, Mangala agrees with the incorporation of dance into formal education, and says there should be more academic research on it.
Reflecting on a need for people to connect with their roots, Archana also notices an increase in the number of people who want to learn. “In an age of social media where people want to become dancers after just a few months’ training, I see students wanting to learn the basics and the true essence of Kathak.”
While the others look at change as something coming from a younger generation, Sandhya reflects on how artistes themselves can make changes to their approach as a way to ahead. She believes that the only way forward is together. “While we need to create movement from the ancient, labels and boundaries shouldn’t stop us from blending and creating new forms, presentations, and sequences.” Agreeing with her, Mangala says that the future of dance, and especially Kathak, is very bright as it allows collaborations with contemporary forms and sensibilities. “Kathak, being a form focusing on rhythm, gives us scope to collaborate with forms like Flamenco and Tap.”
A medium of expression, a tool for change, and a way to connect with our inner selves—dance as an art form is going to go through constant changes and evolutions. With each version, a mirror of society. Sandhya concludes, “As long as the human mind exists, we will continue to express ourselves and connect with other fellow beings through all aspects of art and storytelling.”
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