Whether 8 or 80- Dance As Much As You Want To

There are some things in life that are better than others- things that can bring a smile on your face no matter who, where or what you are. Things like chocolates, smiling babies, roses, sea, stars and dance have the infinite potential of filing you with an ecstasy so strong at the most impossible of moments. A very nice and intelligent quote says that we do not stop smiling as we grow old but we grow old because we stop smiling. Many people take aging as an antonym to laughter, to enjoyment, to craziness, to feeling happy without a reason, in short to life itself.

But our age in no way can or should keep us from the good things in life. It’s never too late- literally! If you have not got a chance yet to set your feet tapping, you can always choose the free time that comes with your retirement. Dance has already proved itself to be a great stress buster, better than any medicine or drug. It’s safe and effective and fun too! Dance is also great for your physical health in many ways. It improves your cardio-vascular system and also sets right all the over bulging and protruding curves. You just need to grab your dance shoes and hit the floor. The rest will be taken care of automatically. Your age doesn’t matters; it’s your passion that does.

If you really want to do it, you can do it for sure, no matter what age you are. There are a number of types of dances that suit the above 40s. Dance does not necessarily mean the jumps and electrifying moves that they show in “So You Think You Can Dance?” but there are dances with much subtle movements which suit the not so young ones. There’s a lot to choose from: ballroom, Latin, Street Latin, salsa, rock ’n' roll, Ceroc (modern jive), tango and so on. A teeny-weeny problem might be finding the right partner. But once that is done, you can get into a dance class or a dance camp that you feel suits you the best and you are all set to take the world by your stride. Remember- Dancing is like dreaming with your feet! – Constanze.

Dance and Discover Your Better Self

Dance, one of the most favorite activities of humankind, has been known to be therapeutic. Dance has been known to have many benefits for all the fronts of human existence, be it physical, spiritual or emotional. Dance brings out the best in every aspect. In many cultures dance is considered as a form of worship. Other than appeasing the gods, dance is also used as an exercise and is a great way to stay fit. Dance is capable of giving your body those envious curves without any outside help.

Dance has also been proven to be great stress buster. The psychological effects of dance include a better sense of well being and a higher self esteem. Lately theories have come out that dance might be the only physical activity that helps you have a better IQ. With all the benefits that come along with dance, one of them is to polish your personality.

Dance proves to be great when it comes to boost your self confidence. Dance camps and dance classes especially work wonders in enhancing your personality. When learning to dance in a group, you not only learn how to interact with others in a coherent manner but also to move about in synchronization with others. When we learn to dance we learn to be conscious about the space around us and hence move in a more effective manner. Dance also sets the self awareness about our posture and body language. Overall dance adds a considerable amount of grace to our personality and makes us walk and look better.

Dance definitely helps you discover the very best of you in every respect.

Fashion Industry and Dance Costumes

Designers often take fancy to the most unexpected things. They draw inspiration from objects, places and things that might be plain and ordinary to the common eye. But then there are things that allure the designers as much as the common man. Dance is definitely one of them. Dance has been in vogue as a preferred social activity since time immemorial. The Renaissance gave an all time high to the connection between dance and fashion. Dance costumes started to become a full fledge genre for the designers to work upon.

This also popularized the concept of “dance dramas” where a play was enacted with dance being a major component. The entire drama was choreographed in dance sequences. This is where the designers came in. they had to design costumes now not only according to the drama but also in compliance with the dance performances that were involved. Gradually dance apparels became an industry that was recognized as to have a lot of potential both in terms of money and exploration of talent.

A world famous designer who made his mark in dance costumes is Jean Paul Gaultier. Jean-Paul Gaultier is a pioneer in the realm of fashion, with his innovative ideas and bold designs. Taipei, Taiwan’s Fine Arts Museum paid tribute to the French fashion designer with an exhibition featuring costumes from Gaultier’s collaborations with French choreographer Regine Chopinot. Jean Paul Gaultier made an eminent mark in the dance fashion industry. So much so that an entire dance sequence was especially choreographed for one of his collections, where conventionally a designer designs dance costumes in accordance with the dance performances.

With the popularization of music videos, the scope of dance a fashion genre increased further more. Now dance apparels is an industry as big as any other with lots of opportunities and a good fortune. Dance shoes too have emerged as a major industry. Thus the establishment between dance and dance costumes and dance shoes is flourishing and has lots of prospects for both the consumers and the industrialists.

Dances from the Indian Subcontinent 1- Kathak

India is a land of spices, colors, deities, dances and a lot more. This diverse and ancient land is a host to numerous cultures. The Indian subcontinent is rich in almost all kinds of arts- the ancient scriptures are a beautiful example of the legendry literary skills imbibed in the soil of the country. Great art has been seen in art and architecture of the region. In dance and music too, the land fares far better than many other ancient civilizations.

Kathak is one of the eight classical dances of India. It was originated from the local cultures of Northern India. The word “Kathak” is derived from a Sanskrit word, “Katha” meaning story. This dance was hence originated from the local story tellers who incorporated dance in their art of storytelling. They were basically the local bards who used to narrate tales from the Holy Scriptures. Animated hand gestures and facial expressions were used. It was the typical local form of theatre. Local instruments and vocals were used to accessorize the narratives.

There are three basic schools or ‘gharanas’ of the kathak dance- Jaipur, Lucknow and Benaras, from which they take the lineage. Kathak dance was the most prominent dance forms in the Mughal courts. The dance in itself has undergone many changes. With the advent of British in India, Kathak took a backseat and was not given much importance. But in the free India, Kathak rose once again in an attempt to preserve culture and art form. The dance incorporates minute details with respect to facial expressions and hand gestures. Kathak once again gathered popularity and the ancient dance form is still being learnt, practiced and popularized in various parts of the country as well as the world. It is now one of the eight officially sanctioned dance forms of India.

Dance Costumes and dance accessories form a major part of the Indian dances. Most of the dances use elaborate dance dresses to accentuate the dance and its effects. Kathak too uses beautiful dance apparels to beautify the dance. As far as dance shoes are concerned, most of the Indian dances including Kathak are performed barefoot as these dances are considered to be a form of worship. The most important part of kathak is ghungroo, they are an essential dance accessory. Ghungroos are small metal bells fastened along leather or a cloth strip, worn around the ankle. They make noise in accordance with the footsteps of the dancer and are the main attraction of the dance. The sound made by the ghungroos is central to the dance.

Female dancers may use saris and a tight fitting blouse as dance dresses. They can be tied as in everyday use or a bit high so as to allow a greater freedom of movement. But more commonly lehnga-choli is chosen as a performance dress. A lehnga-choli can be a much more elaborate and fancy dance dress. Lehenga allows gives a greater degree of freedom of movement. During the Mughal era the most popularly used dance apparel was the angh-rakha. This type of garment fitted tightly till above the waist and after that a free flowing skirt follows. A belt of zari material adorned with precious stones was often used as an accessory. Among other accessories were a small pointed cap and a waistcoat.

Male dancers usually used just a dhoti as a dance costume and remained bare-chested. Though, in the Mughal period they often used to wear a churidaar and kurta.
Kathak is an important part of the Indian cultural heritage. It is still growing as a legacy and is reaching new heights of popularity with grand performances being done on national and international scale.

Flash and Flaunt

Dance has been the hobby and passion for many since time immemorial. For the rich and for the poor both, dance has been a mode of entertainment, of expression and of devotion. Dance has been one of the most of the passionate activities. Over the time dance evolved from a mere mode of self expression to a full fledge social activity and became an integral part of the societies in almost all of the countries. The kings and the courtiers had special royal dancers. Dance began to define the culture of a place. In a few cultures dance was given more importance than in some others.

With dance becoming a social activity, dance dresses and dance apparels too became a highlight. Looks and appearances as it is have been an extremely important part of human civilization. With dance becoming the preferred social activity, dance balls and dance classes also became an avenue to search for a prospective life partner. Looking good at dances, dance events, and dance balls became all the more important. Young girls would dress best to their ability and men of various occupations would come seeking for young love. Many such balls have also been a source of some much talked about scandals of yesteryears.

Dance dresses also came to define fashion of the day. With modernization and coming in of electronic media, the entertainment industry saw various revolutions. With the invention and consequential popularization of radio, music and dance were more popular than ever. Many singers gained considerable popularity and these were the men and women who initiated many new trends in the fashion world. Flashy dance dresses and elaborate dance accessories became the order of the day and these started to influence the fashion and the trends among the crowds. Then there was no turning back. Once it was clear that people would appreciate anything and everything that the celebs support, crazier and weirder things in dressing and styles started to come up and also being accepted.