On World Dance Day, maestros perform from their homes to cheer up corona warriors

New Delhi [India], April 29 : Today is World Dance Day- an occasion to celebrate one of the finest forms of human expression and freedom.
It is only ironical that this year, the day has come amidst coronavirus lockdown when most of us are confined to the four walls and a roof of our homes. But then, that's a gesture as well- of care towards our loved ones, to ensure their safety from the deadly pathogen more than ours, perhaps.
And that's where the spirit of this year's World Dance Day lies for the art lovers- a compilation of various dance forms in a video dedicated to warriors fighting an invisible enemy, which has brought the world to a screeching halt.
Under the guidance of maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, about 80 dance groups, choreographers and dancers from all over the world have come together from their homes, roof tops, drawing rooms, expressing solidarity with healthcare workers.
"We are dedicating this video to all the frontline workers fighting the pandemic. Through this video, we hope that the curtain will rise again and hope to overcome the pandemic," Maitreyee Pahari, the brain behind the idea, told ANI.
The initial plan was to create a small clip but now the video is 40-minutes-long, featuring about 85 artistes, including Birju Maharaj, Sonal Mansingh, Shovana Narayan, Raja and Radha Reddy.
Launched on various social media platfrms, the video boasts of an amalgam of dance styles ranging from Kathak to Bharatnatyam; from Kuchipudi to Kathakali and Contemporary to western ballet.
China-originated coronavirus has swept the world, affecting 3,152,573 and killing 218,491 across the continents.
Doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals are amongst the worst hit with their images in hazmat suits, tight respirators and shields, shocking many around the world.
The spike in patients is so high that many doctors don't even get a chance to go back home and meet their kin.
The dance video could be small drop in the ocean to cheer up such frontline warriors but is expected to go a long way in reminding them that they have not been forgtten on the World Dance Day.
"While making this video, I did not focus much on the dance forms but I was more focused on the balancing aspect of the video- how I can make this video more interesting," Pahari added.
As the expression of love and care is extended out to coronavirus warriors, a message goes out- be so strong and grow so big that the chains and locks that bind you, break themselves free.