Art is meant to be liberating.
This freedom extends to the realm of Classical Dance.
JUNOON, as a movement, an organization, a brand and a collective for the awareness, training, dissemination, practice and performance of Classical Dance holds no biases of gender, language, religion or story line.
In so far as who can dance, what can be danced and why the dance is danced.
GENDER
The world of Classical Dance is neither exclusive to a woman nor forbidden to a man.
Art is a very human thing.
If you happen to be one, Classical Dance is yours for the taking.
Its arms are open as are its exigencies for anyone (chromosome combination notwithstanding) to embrace.
If employed wisely, it can change the world – warped gender biases, at the very least.
LANGUAGE
Classical Dance is typically choreographed or set to compositions comprising words in familiar tongues, in ancient languages that may have codified the dance theory in itself. Without a doubt, it is a lot more convenient to put movement to words that belong to a language that has written the very instructions, the very directives of the dance form one practices.However, this does not limit the choreographic ability of Classical Dance.
Every language is beautiful and evocative. Hence, Classical Dance can be set to literature any language, to prose and poetry in any language, to words and lyrics in any language. Because that is the universality of Dance; the universality of Art.
There is a movement and stillness, with meaning, for every word and every silence. Classical Dance is ultimately, a language. One that translates another language, a script, an idea, a story and with any luck, empathy, in the truest manner possible.
RELIGION
Since its origins are largely ascribed to the divine and spiritual,Classical Dance has come to be known as a vehicle for the propagation of religion. Neither should Classical Dance be tied to a particular religion and nor should it be defined or driven by it.
Dancing a Classical Art form may be a transcendental experience that enables a spiritual awakening but it is not a hostage to furthering any religious conviction.
The art form can certainly be employed to glorify, illustrate or explicate a religious phenomenon, deity or ideology. However, it is in no way limited to or allied with a singular religious purpose or identity. Having said that, Classical Dance can honour every religion – in their stories, teachings, morals, lessons, drama, depth, history and compassion – through its gift of expression.
STORY LINE
Art is a means to tell a story. Dance is a means of telling a story through movement performed by the body.
Stories of all kinds, in all settings – ancient, mythical and contemporary can be danced. These can come from any part of the world. Why, they can even be otherworldly.
Classical Dance is a comprehensive, universal language that is equipped to tell all sorts of stories, in all sorts of situations, depicting all sorts of characters, locations and plots.
Whether you hit a climax, nadir or equilibrium, Classical Dance can communicate it all. Limiting its scope is a sin and a grave disservice to the art form, storytelling and therefore, Art, in its entirety.
Every story is worth telling. Every story can be told, artistically. Classical Dance exists to tell these.
Irrespective of who dances, what language the text is written or spoken in, whether or not it is religiously inclined, which religion or religious figure it spotlights, how bizarre, simplistic or moderate the story is or as antiquated, current or futuristic its chronology may be.
Nothing at JUNOON is too outlandish, too simple, too contrived or off limits to be danced by anyone, if it can be, especially if it should be.
Classical Dance is not conventional but it is far too real to be restrained or caught up in biases without basis.
Dance is not caught up. Classical Dance is structured and then it is freed.
As Art is. As Art should be.
