Virtual Dance Group

Posted by Cappadonna on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

By Jay Kumar

Dance is an art form what has been a part of human life since time immemorial. It is generally used as a form of expression or social interaction. Every culture in every corner of the world has a dance from that is unique to them.

In India, dance is considered to have divine origins. Most Hindu gods and goddesses are great dancers. It is believed that Shiva's cosmic dance- Tandava , encompasses creation, preservation and destruction. The Goddess Kali is often linked to Shiva through dance.

For ages, classical dance has been an important part of the religion and culture of India. An important feature of Indian classical dance is the use of hand gestures or mudras. These gestures are often used to depict stories and also to demonstrate emotion and nature. Facial expressions are also an important part of Classical Dance.

There are eight different dance styles in India that can be categorized as Classical dance. These include Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Odissi, Mohiniyattam, and Sattriya.

Most Indian Classical dances are rooted in the Natyashastra which is an ancient treatise written about the performing arts.

In recent years, however, the Indian dance evolves past its classical roots. Bollywood plays a major role in this evolution of dance. It's always derived from the influences of Western music. With the advent of new forms of technology, Indians are more inclined to music and dance from around the world.

In the 70's and the 80's, Mumbai saw an explosion of Beat groups and Jazz music. These forms of music encouraged dance forms like the jitterbug, jive, twist, waltz, fox trot and many others. These dances have been passed on through the generations, even to the current day. They are more common in the festivities of the Catholic and Parsi communities.

With the popularity of Rap music and Hip-hop music, dance forms like street dance, breakdance, krumping and also freestyle dance have become popular. These dances are as common in bollywood music as they are in other social settings.

Latin dances like salsa, meringue, samba and rumba are very popular these days. There are a number of dance schools around the country that teach these dances. A number of organizations even provide facilities for their employees to learn and practice these dances.

Dance has always associated with grace, co-ordination and beauty. There could be a lot of people that love to dance but may not be as graceful or as co-ordinated. Normally they would give up such aspirations. But now with the advent of virtual world even the couch potato can be a world class dancer.

Most virtual worlds allow users to control their avatars to perform a series of gestures of dance. These virtual worlds are virtual parties regularly where the user can dance until they drop, while meeting new people.

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