'Dance to the rhythm of your heart'

“Dance is nature. Listen to your heart. It dances with its own rhythm. The biggest thing that classical dance and music do to you is help attain a balance between your mind and soul,” said Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj.

One would be overjoyed to see students dressed in vibrant colours filling the auditorium and eagerly waiting for their turn at the Group Dance competition (Zone A) organised by Deccan Herald in Education (DHiE) held at Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park, on Thursday.

The junior category saw some brilliant performances in Yakshagana, Lavni, Bharatanatyam, Thillana, Punjabi, tribal, Shiva Stuthi in modern form and horror genre, while the senior category witnessed horse dance in Rajasthani folklore format and lyrical hip-hop, among other forms as well.

Vydhurya Sree, a dancer and choreographer and also runs ASV Dancing Stars institute, judged the event.

Addressing the participants she said: “In a group dance, one has to remember that each person in the group should dance and be part of the team,” said Vydhurya

“The very first thing is the dance form should be intact. We have a fusion of all the forms here. Be it a classical, western, freestyle and folk forms,” she added.