“Dancing for a Thirsty Soul”

Is a dance event to bring communities together with lilting music, compelling rhythms and meaningful/haunting lyrics that move our limbs with a spirit of abandon? The idea is to churn out a relevant theme out of classical folk and popular dance traditions of India and make them a shared experience. The theme is water, a primary element for our spiritual and physical survival and also a pressing issue today. In Indian myth water is a goddess; she is daughter of lofty Himalaya Mountains. She lives in an elusive abode of snow. She is astride an alligator holding a pitcher of sacred water comes down to nurture the entire humanity. The classical dance in India turns the poetry, music, and rhythm from their oral and aural dimensions, a visual poetry bringing the myth of goddess Ganga alive. This visceral experience is also turned into mystic exercise of the mind for the dancer, dance and audience. This segment would showcase. After this, the second layer of the program would draw from folk tradition and its relationship with the water. In Punjab the eagerly wait for Monsoon, harvest depends on ample rains. Bhangra song dance is the soul of Punjab farmers. This regional art has become popular in India and diasporas immigrant communities in U.K. Caribbean, Africa, U.S. and Canada.

This segment is meant to be participative. By learning a few signature movements the community will be the prime movers/dancers in this segment. Erasing the line between performer and audience, budget permitting we would have live drumming and singing. The 3rd segment would draw from a new genre of dance in India. Since the advent of the film industry (India is the leading most film producer, 1000 films per year) more popularly known as Bollywood. Mumbai film industry has created a dynamic hybrid of regional, classical, folk dance and canned them for a national market. Today this market has stretched to a global stage. Our catchy monsoon song from the film “Lagaam” that taps into peasant’s kinetic energy with its soulful lyrics. The dance will conclude for dancers on a contemplative note how to keep the spirit of Bhageertha (myth) who made the river Ganga to descend to earth a how to keep the sacredness of our waters safe and not violated.