Dance in Indian Tradition and the 21st Century

Submitted by India Week on Tue 06/03/12

There is a strong history of dance in Indian tradition. For centuries dancing has played an important role in celebrations and religious festivals in India. However, it wasn't until the twentieth century and the advent of cinema that it was shown to the world.

A Tradition of Dance

It was the Indian film industry and ‘Bollywood' which suddenly put dance on the big screen. Song and dance are both absolutely integral to Indian cinema (far more so than anywhere else in the world) and this is shown off on a global scale, with Bollywood now the largest film producers in the world. Over 1,000 feature films are produced every year with an ever-increasing international appeal from Asian audiences residing in the UK and US.

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the birthplace of Indian film and much of the present day mass marketing of Hindi language films still comes out of this entertainment hub. Over the years Mumbai has produced larger than life stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty.

It was these stars roles in Indian musical films that made them the celebrities they are today. The melodrama of the script is interwoven with song and dance that usually consists of romantic love songs and complex dance routines.

In many mainstream films multiple genres will be merged together leading to action, comedy and love colliding into a hybrid ‘masala' flick. Whatever role the actors play in these cinematic mixtures of spice, one thing they will have in common is their ability to dance for the camera in a fit of passion.

The Viral Dancing Trend

In the 21st century, and the development of the internet and YouTube, dance has suddenly found another medium to take over. In 2009 one of the biggest worldwide YouTube sensations was the ‘JK Wedding Dance'. The video from America features an unusual group-wedding dance set to music by Chris Brown. This well rehearsed performance was an instant hit and now has over 70 million views.

The concept of providing grand entrances for the bride and groom in the style of a music video created multiple spin offs, and was even parodied in popular culture by such shows as The Office in the United States.

It seems this type of flamboyant song and dance routine resonates with audiences in South Asia. Indeed, a video that was trending in India last month shows footage from a wedding in Singapore, and features an elaborate performance set to a Tamil-language Indian film soundtrack.

A different choice of song was chosen in this instance but the idea of enacting the performances of superstars on your big day seems to be universal!