The digital era has given classical dance a whole new medium of expression and visibility. It has opened doors for creativity and collaboration that simply were not possible before. However, this new-found accessibility comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities.
Take the transformation of performances themselves. Unlike stage shows, the screen demands brevity and a balance between cinematic and classical aesthetics. In this world, a 90-second reel must carry the emotional depth and precision of a 90-minute production. That might sound diminishing, but it’s also an opportunity. Dancers are now being tapped by brands looking for “authentic” Indian identities, or models not just of grace, but of culture.
Social media has become a way to get work from your work. You never know who might be watching. Unlike earlier times, when success often hinged on being in the right room, dancers now find themselves in virtual spotlights that extend far beyond borders. Gurus can now reach students they may never meet in person. Collaborations between genres are becoming more frequent and more exciting.
That said, not everything is as celebratory.
The same platform that empowers can also dilute. A poorly trained dancer with a massive following can unintentionally redefine a classical form for an entire generation of uninformed viewers. This is a huge disservice to the art forms that have been so carefully and profoundly designed by generations of maestros. There is a responsibility that comes with digital influence – not to let followers be misled by false claims of authority.
That sense of responsibility inspired me to reimagine what the digital space could offer to classical dance. The 2024 edition ofDastaan-e-Kathakmarked the first time a festival of this kind was conceptualised and brought to life. Though only in its second year, the festival organised on World Kathak Day (February 4) took a bold new turn.
We invited dancers from across the globe to create 90-second videos inspired by Pt. Birju Maharaj’s work. These were not casual posts, but deliberate, thoughtful pieces crafted specifically for the festival, designed to live, if only briefly, on digital platforms. Each evening in the lead-up to February 4, we streamed live for ten minutes on Instagram and YouTube, featuring two artists per session. On World Kathak Day, we ran all the performances throughout the day.
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The experience brought together artists from across India and beyond, making the world feel a little smaller and more connected through shared storytelling.
Encouraged by the concept’s resounding success, I knew the digital edition had to become a permanent part of our future. In 2025, we extended this vision with a special Children’s Edition, because for World Kathak Day, we believe it is essential to include children, the future custodians of our classical traditions.
On the digital platform, content like those stylised mashups of Kathak with hip-hop beats or electronic visuals is another notable trend. Fusion has its own audience. When done by someone with genuine training, it can be fun and engaging, but it cannot save or destroy Kathak. The traditional form is too powerful for that. It’s the DNA. Everything else is just a game on the side.
The digital space, then, is both canvas and pretense.For classical dancers, it serves as a place where tradition must constantly negotiate with trends. Where short-form formats demand long-term thinking. Where the scroll can be seductive, but also sustaining, if you know how to dance on it and are lucky with it.
So how will traditional art hold its own in the age of the scroll? The answer is that we have held our own in every age. We have an unbroken, continuous, evolving, breathing tradition pre-dating the 4th century BCE.
Shivani Varma is a renowned Kathak artist and Founder of World Kathak Day.
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picture credit:freepik.
