29/04/2025
On International Dance Day:
Dance is a beautiful, universal language of the soul. Across the world, every culture has created its own forms of dance from the fluidity of ballet to the fiery rhythms of flamenco, from the vibrancy of African tribal dances to the grace of contemporary styles. Dance brings joy by allowing emotions to flow freely, releasing stress, building connections, and celebrating life itself. It invites the body and mind into a rhythm of harmony, movement, and freedom.
In India, dance holds a sacred space, it is not just an art form but a means of spiritual and emotional expression. Indian classical dances like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, and Manipuri, deeply rooted in tradition, draw from the Natya Shastra, the ancient treatise authored by Bharata Muni.
The Natya Shastra describes dance (Natyam) as a divine tool for expressing emotions (Bhava) and evoking aesthetic pleasure (Rasa) in the viewer. According to it, dance was created as a bridge between the human and divine, to educate, entertain, and heal.
Today, dance is also embraced as a therapeutic practice, helping individuals reconnect with their emotions, heal traumas, and find inner balance through the power of movement and storytelling.
