It’s like they say-The Essence of Music is Silence. The Essence of Dance is Stillness. Peace amidst movement. Dynamic, yet static. A fluid balance between the masculine (contemplation) and the feminine (creation).
And the music. Each note with its own mood. Own emotional colour. Own character. Even own season. A fluid framework to reflect the fluid tempo of the dance. Each an empathetic mirror to the other.
In other words, Indian classical dance is the purest expression of balance between the physical, the psychological and the spiritual. A connection between the intuitive and the rational, if you will.
And why not? What better way, after all, to leverage multiple, diverse elements, to create a single, comprehensive picture? Music and movement, lighting, gestures, facial expressions, emotions, tempo, movements, you name it. All come together as a single image in the viewer’s mind. That’s the power of Indian classical dance.
Alas, though, this art form is all but losing its melody. The very purpose of its being. The basic tenet is no longer seeing the divine, but showcasing oneself. Once a critique of society, now driven by crass consumerism, Indian classical dance faces the very real threat of fading into the country’s cultural tapestry. For that matter, on a more base level, waning attention spans. Poor (or no) funding. Loss of the very identity this art form strived to reveal. And this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
All is not lost, of course. Multiple government-led and independent academies have made it their mission to not give in without a fight. Be it reflecting contemporary societal issues to innovating within the dance form itself, the motive is clear. Fight the good fight, keep the spirit alive.
On our part, if you’re wondering why I chose this subject, all I can say is, wait and watch, we may just surprise you. After all, isn’t dance the final manifestation of multiple variables-the physical and the emotional; the conscious and the unconscious-all bound together by melody?
Keep the dream alive (and dancing).