International Dance Day
Worldwide 29th April is celebrated annually as International Dance Day since 1982. This special day is on the birthday of Jean Georges Noverre (1727-1810), a French dancer and balletmaster who is considered as the creator of Ballet d’action a precursor to the narrative ballets of the 19th century. In 18th century France the revival of ballet was credited to him.
A separate day is dedicated for dance in order to draw mass attention, love and awareness for the art of dance. Our entire universe dances as every element in the universe has its own momentum and rhythm. Thus dance is primordial to human culture. Dance as an artform serves as a tool to spread the message of oneness, love, culture and tradition. Dance makes our body move which adds to our physical and mental health and happiness.
Indian Classical Dance
We as Indians celebrate and respect International Dance Day but can’t we Indians demand for “Indian Dance Day” as India is a country of culture since antiquity. Indian dances intricately potrays Indian culture. The origin of dances in India go back to Paleolithic time as the UNESCO World Hertiage site at Bhimbetka rock caves shows dance scenes. There is evidence from Indus Valley Civilization of bronze “Dancing Girl” statue, “Dancing Shiva” dated about 2500 BC. India being a land of cultural diversity and vast geographical diversity various forms of dance originated in different parts of India according to local folklores and traditions along with time. With the change of time, many Indian dance forms imbibed elements from other parts of the country or globe and become a hybrid variety.
