We Dance for Change in Spain: Dance as a Universal Language
Project by Krisha Singhal:
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The wooden floor reverberates with hollow echoes, in symphony with our jingling ghungroos. The music blends with this orchestra, coordinating with the tapping and twirling of our feet. An ensemble of hands, evidently feeling left out, harmoniously joins the rhythm, transforming the Spanish assembly hall into a space filled with echoes of Indian culture and visual renditions of Indian ragas.
This was the first time I truly realised the power of dance, as a universal language. It was my second day a foreign country, a foreign school, surrounded by foreign people, speaking a foreign language, but the second I stepped on that stage, and performed with my friends, I felt my inhibitions melt away. The experience of being able to understand, and enjoy an experience with a sea of strangers still baffles me.
This event marked the beginning of our journey toward promoting cultural integration through our shared passion for dance. Our Indian team gave a presentation on the history of Bollywood and classical Indian dance, covering its evolution, distinctive movements, and expressive elements. I demonstrated a few "mudras" (traditional hand gestures) from the Kathak dance style, highlighting its foundational role. Afterward, we introduced our Spanish peers to Bollywood music with a lively flash mob, featuring a popular Bollywood dance number. We also taught them some signature moves from well-known Bollywood songs.
In return, they shared their traditional Flamenco dance with us. We watched a YouTube tutorial to grasp the basics of Flamenco, then the Spanish students guided us through typical steps, which we blended into a choreographed performance for our teachers. We concluded the session by dancing Flamenco-style steps to the Bollywood song "Senorita," which features both English and Spanish lyrics. We even incorporated Bollywood moves into the chorus, creating a vibrant fusion of cultures. The event was a delightful and heartwarming mix of Spanish and Indian traditions that complemented each other beautifully.
Later, we watched a Flamenco performance, and my host's grandmother invited us to try on traditional Flamenco costumes. We also danced with fans, a common Flamenco prop, to Spanish rhythms. It was a fulfilling experience, filled with cross-cultural learning and shared enthusiasm for dance.
Other than cultural integration, I also observed notable similarities between the two dance forms: Kathak and Flamenco. Both emphasize rhythmic complexity through intricate footwork, with Kathak using ankle bells (ghungroos) and Flamenco using special shoes with nails to produce rhythmic sounds. They are also highly expressive, employing hand gestures and facial expressions to convey emotion and tell stories. Improvisation plays a key role in both, allowing dancers to react to the music and each other, fostering a sense of spontaneity and personal expression. The storytelling aspect is central, with Kathak often drawing from Indian mythology and Flamenco exploring a range of emotions from joy to sorrow. These dances are traditionally accompanied by live music—tabla and harmonium for Kathak, and guitar and percussion for Flamenco—which creates a dynamic interaction between dancers and musicians. They also reflect their rich cultural heritage, with Kathak rooted in North Indian traditions and Flamenco influenced by Gypsy, Moorish, and Andalusian cultures.
Overall, this experience enabled us to break down cultural barriers and create a sense of shared humanity. This understanding fostered a spirit of inclusivity and broadened my perspective in the world of dance. Furthermore, collaborating with Spanish students gave us a chance to appreciate the beauty of both cultures, fostering a sense of global community. This experience has truly created an indelible imprint in my mind, that I will always cherish, and which encourages me to continue pursuing dance, as a method of shared expression and communication.