Music and Dance on a Digital Platform! Just few months ago, this idea was mostly used by artists for fun and entertainment. But now, it has become an inevitable approach during this Covid-19 pandemic which may be termed as a force majeure event. As health, safety, and lives are at stake, it vigorously imposes an economic crisis for many communities, including the art fraternity. Like many other business sectors, the performing arts sector got disrupted to a great extent by the worldwide outbreak of Corona Virus. Artists’ livelihood depend on different live performances, gigs, tours, workshops, and tutoring. As the lockdown has stretched over a couple of months (and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future), and with the continuing need for physical distancing, the world of performing arts has been struggling, scrambling, and groping in the amorphous situation of a quickly spreading pandemic. “Necessity is the mother of invention” – as this virus wreaks havoc on millions of artist’s lives, spawning ripples of anxiety for survival, people have embraced digital platforms quickly; they gravitated towards online engagements, live shows, talk shows, workshops, and online teaching. This became a pragmatic and intriguing solution to most artists amidst this dreary condition. Online platforms and social media have started playing major roles for performers who were in total despair after mass cancellations of performances, workshops, and tours. This online platform definitely enlivens the spirits of millions of artists, fans, and art students. Wiping out geographical boundaries, fans have started to enjoy online shows of their favorite artists in various fields, students have started regular online art classes with their teachers. Information is gleaned from various online talk shows, workshops, and webinars – it’s a more lasting and stable way to share, communicate and connect, instead of meandering through the array of musings in solitude. We all got some great materials that we would not have otherwise gotten. Despite being very productive in the first few months of the quarantine period, it is, unfortunately, unclear to the whole art fraternity whether or not it can be a reliable business model, and whether or not it can cater to the most rudimentary needs of hundreds of thousands of artists. Many questions are still left unanswered - these live streaming, lectures, and workshops were mostly free at the beginning, yet this poses a serious threat to artists’ survival. What challenges will the community face while marketing online engagements as ticketed events? Will it be possible to maintain high-quality streaming, embellished with sophisticated light, sound, and technology to satisfy the audience, like it would in an on-stage performance? Will it be possible to have more comfortable settings where artists are not crammed on a small phone screen? Will these live streams pay enough for artists to [financially] support themselves? What will happen to those artists who are not accustomed to online interactions, or with limited internet facilities? At this moment, the main goal is to establish coherent economic strategies through online involvements, while maintaining the quality, novelty, and grace of the art. History tells us a lot - this may be new to our generation, but not to humanity; the race has faced enormous challenges before and survived, so we will survive too. In the last few decades, technology has proved its competence in various fields, so one can certainly hope that it will not disappoint the Art field. As the live streaming synergizes better with new virtual realities, there is a growing understanding of continuous developments, both technologically as well as with the content. Artists need to understand that this medium is not just to fuel their thoughts in solitude, but to be used as a potential platform to share ideas. We need to come up with advancements to the wide spreading internet technology, with high-quality online streaming, improved sound system, and decorated with appealing lighting systems. It is imperative that we all stand together to make all these shows as ticketed events in support of those artists who depend on their art for a living. We must refrain from thinking that online shows are catchall designations or have amateurish content, and these performances should not be considered as ubiquitous to the point where it will be a vestige of dignity. The success of a live performance depends on the audience’s reaction, to which online shows are no exception. We must make all sorts of arrangements to provide an engaging rendezvous for artists and viewers, where artists will be able to present their art forms with full comfort, and viewers will get the pleasure of watching performers in an online event. Sponsorship and advertisements can be a good monetary support for organizing these online events and may help to keep the ticket cost affordable. Art forms faced a major setback during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918, but the comebacks were much stronger than the setbacks. Goes without saying that the same holds for us. It is really encouraging to see that in New York City (amongst other places), there are many venues that have started hosting ticketed online events with a virtual audience, where artists are performing on the stage or in studios, as to not be restricted to the limited infrastructure of home. It is important for the audience to adopt new ways of enjoying music and performances. With a proper setup, we all can build an excellent medium to spread our Art forms globally, where young and budding artists remain connected, always keeping their spirits up. Already established artists will guide the industry, and we will prove again that the adversity always brings out positivity, innovation and creativity. Nothing can stop art to flourish, as it will always find a way to survive.
“The aim of Art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance” – Aristotle “Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.” – Pablo Picasso Two very famous quotes from Aristotle and Pablo Picasso, which took decades for me to truly understand the real meaning behind these messages. Coming from a family where art was hardly discussed, my love for performing arts was limited to imitating dancers in movies and TV shows. Back then, art was simply a form of entertainment for me, and so I never dreamed of taking dance very seriously. To this day, I still don’t understand how my paradigm on said topic shifted. Call it destiny, but after my son was born, I got the opportunity to learn Indian classical dance – from there, my magical journey in the world of performing arts had launched itself. Initially, dancing had aided my general sense of well-being, as it had brought me back to myself; I started taking care of my health, from diet to exercise. Slowly, this uncharted territory of arts started to give me more zest - the spontaneity of an untrammeled yet disciplined lifestyle. It took me closer to the wellspring of positivity, giving me full control over both my mind and health. Using the three D’s of classical dance - Devotion, Dedication, and Discipline – I was able to retain this sense where my mind was the one acting on my actions, rather being acted upon by personal indulgences. Needless to say, the rewards were profound; deeper understanding came from daily practice schedules with tiny bells strung around the ankles, maintaining routines with relentless determination, harnessing the harmony between mental strength and physical energy, transforming challenges into intriguing abilities, and having the urge to improve day by day. I started to realize the true meaning of what these great men once said about art - although dance technically falls under a broader category of art [performing], their messages still hold true to dance too. When dancers are complemented for smooth and fast pirouettes, intricate footwork, skillful techniques, and command over laya (tempo/rhythm), it depicts not just their artistic style, but more so their dedication and devotion to the art form – that nothing was there at the outset, but through hard work, all was learned and mastered through this process of becoming an artist. Should we choose to truly understand what we are learning beyond physical movements and aesthetics, we will see that art can stimulate and enliven our minds, add a spark to our lives, keep us in touch with each other and ourselves, giving us a grounding that we cannot lose, creating a unity that keeps us whole. I have always felt that dance is a tête-à-tête between the dancer and the viewer, an inner dialogue through an outfacing form. The dancer shares his/her skills and experiences aided with the strength of his/her talents and technicalities – filtered through all sorts of limitations, hard work, thousands of hours of practice, and sleepless nights – so that the viewer can realize, beyond the visuals, the inner beauty of an artistic mind, the charisma of a dancer’s presentations, and the truth behind a dancer’s success. I definitely aspire that dancers can bring the true essence of art and inspire the newer generation to take it forward.