From the ever popular animated Goan wedding, to Christmas and
New Year’s Eve balls, to Friday nights out at Goa’s popular hotspots,
one scene that remains constant is the crowded and rhythmic dance
floor. The International Dance Council has put together a day that
celebrates this movement, one that is synonymous with Goan ethos
– the movement of dance.
The main purpose of International Dance
Day is to attract the attention of the wider
public to the art of dance. Members of the dance fraternity attempt
at addressing a new public, people who are not in sync with dance
over the course of the year. Goa’s popular ballroom dance instructor
Dr Martin D’Costa feels that it is still in its nascent phase in the state.
He says, “International Dance Day is still in its infancy stage in Goa.
It has not created an impact yet, with merely a few dance schools
celebrating it. My studio and troupe, Dance Illusions, celebrates it with
a get-together with past and present students.”
The concept of International Dance Day was first introduced
in the year 1982 by the International Dance Council (CID, Conseil
International de la Danse), an NGO partnered by UNESCO, and
is celebrated annually on April 29. While this date is not linked to
any particular person or form of dance, it is
coincidentally the day when French dancer and
ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre was born.
Dr Martin also believes that there are certain aspects and
shortcomings of dance that need to be addressed within the state.
“While regarded as an epicentre of ballroom in India, in Goa we are
far behind in many regards. This can be attributed to several reasons.
It takes courage to take a dance class and shed the shyness that
comes with letting go and expressing oneself through dance. A large
chunk of instructors themselves are improperly trained when they
set out to teach, leading to a decrease in quality and technique. Most
importantly, the mindset of most of the Goan community is that they
already know to dance. This is evident from the fervour exhibited by
cousins and/or friends who chip in during a wedding. There is no
such thing as a crash course in ballroom dancing. It is something that
constantly requires practice, time and a good instructor,” he says.
The International Dance Council considers that while dance has
been an integral part of human culture throughout its history, it is
less prioritised by official establishments in the world. One particular
statement emphasising this is that which has been made by Professor
Alkis Raftis, president of the International Dance Council, who said,
“In more than half of the 200 countries in the world, dance does not
appear in legal texts. There are no funds allocated in the state budget
to support this art form. There is no such thing as dance education,
private or public.”
Echoing this sentiment is local superstar and former Dance India
Dance contestant, Cecille Rodrigues. “On International Dance Day, we
need to remember that life’s a dance. You learn as you go. Sometimes
you lead. Sometimes you follow. You should never worry about what
you don’t know, because you’ll learn as you go,” she says, highlighting
what she believes the true spirit of dance is all about.
