Artistes celebrate World Dance Day with online dance parties, workshops

Bharatanatyam veteran Lakshmi Ramaswamy had planned a three-day seminar where dance stalwarts from various parts of the country were invited to talk about the nuances of dance. “I miss getting ready for dance performances and being on stage. I miss the vibe of seeing the audience tapping to each step I do. That said, my students and I didn’t want to miss the International Dance Day celebrations and have planned two online events. I have been performing a particular thillana in ragam desh. This is a song on national integration expressing the spirit of the country. I choreographed it 20 years ago and many of my students and their students have danced to the same music. Our initial plan was to get together and perform it in front of an audience.

But now, we have put together the dance snippets and will be releasing it on YouTube. These dance snippets are more than two decades and three generations old,” says Lakshmi.

The other event is a one-hour innovative zoom session where students will be taught how did dance start through gestures of Bharatanatyam.

For dancer-choreographer Aparnaa Nagesh, the lockdown has helped her explore new ways to teach contemporary dance styles like lyrical jazz, Latin jazz, Bollywood, hip-hop, etc. “What I miss the most after the lockdown is the vastness of my dance studio. Having a huge space to move around is an important part of dancing. Since we are at home, we have to limit ourselves to whatever space we have. It is quite challenging for many dancers including  me. Also, I miss the thrill of dressing up and dancing with other people live on stage. Though lowkey, we are celebrating International Dance Day with an online contemporary dance workshop on April 29. I will be working through contemporary techniques, a favourite choreography of mine, and some great relaxation techniques. It will be a dance party towards the end!” remarks Aparnaa.