h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Indian dance - A2839557
Author: returningLisekit - U790572

I noticed there was a rather good entry on Indian Music (A46504), but nothing yet on Indian dance. This is my attempt to rectify that situation.

Nice first entry Good.

Hope you don't mind me giving you some suggestions to make it more House style-y.

There's one typo I saw- 'narraes' should be 'narrates'

Please have “s become ‘s - double quotes become single quotes.

Use tags around the paragraphs, so that each paragraph has a at the top and a at the end, instead of tags.

Instead of bold words at the top of sections, you can use headers, or subheaders, so it looks like Bhangra or Bhangra instead of Bhangra

Just some suggestions... keep writing.

First impression - this is really impressive. I don't know anything about Indian dance, but this does seem to cover the origin, different forms/types etc.

As far as content goes it is difficult for me to comment, but it does read well.

A couple of small things

"combined withfacial expressions and the characteristic neck-movements which make up the expressive quality of the dance"

You need a space in 'with facial'

Also rather than using tags, there is a paragraph tag. Just use at the beginning of the text and at the end, and it will seperate the text into paras for you

Mort

I must have typed slow!

Are the dances taught by the family or do children learn them at school or in dance classes?

In England they teach 'country dancing' at school in a bid to keep it alive, but few children learn it any other place and are unlikely to do it after they leave school.

In Scotland, they teach dancing at schools, but the Scots are more keen to hang on to their traditions so still have Ceilidhs at weddings and the whole family joins in - everybody seems to know the dances.

This is a really good entry - is it your first one? !

There's only one small problem - the guide ML isn't quite in the house style. Couldd you please use Subheaders and around the sub headings.

Instead of using to space the paragraphs would you possibly be able enclose the paragraphs in and tags.

This will all make it a bit easier to read on the page. Sorry to nitpick, it's really good work!

What am I, chopped liver?

Sorry I ignored the advice in the Peer Review queue and failed to notice your post.

It is the third time in as many days for me, so I am getting used to it.

Thanks for those style comments - will get on it!

A very good question! The classical dance styles are taught in dance schools (very much like ballet is taught in the UK, for example). I've taught in several Indian schools, and no dance (or, in fact, PE of any kind) was offered on the curriculum, so dance tends to be learned outside of school. Most of the little girls in South India learned Bharatnatyam after school, in much the same way as a lot of little girl in Britain learn ballet or tap. Fewer boys took dance classes, but certainly some.

In classical dance, you are expected to train with your guru until s/he feels you are of an acceptable standard to be presented to an audience. You then have your "arangetram" - this Sanksrit word means "ascending the stage", and it is a long, arduous dance display that marks the end of your training and the beginning of your professional life.

In the UK, the same system of training is still used, but now the ISTD (International Society for Teachers of Dance) have a South Asian Dance Faculty and offer a teaching syllabus with grade examinations, bringing Bharatnatyam and Kathak teaching in the UK into a pattern that matches European danc teaching.

Folk dance is picked up at festivals and parties! In the UK, there are Bhangra and Bollywood classes, but it's also perfectly possible to pick up movements from your friends and peers and in clubs.

Right, all done now! Hope that makes it better to read.

Hi, this entry is looking really great!

The only thing I can think of potentially worth adding is that teaching of Indian dance is not something that only happens in India and the UK -- it happens all over the world, wherever there are Indian communities. I remember there was an article about it recently in our paper here (Seattle, US).


Mikey

Thank you for that! The thing about dance outside the UK and India is that I have no personal knowledge there - I can of course believe that Indian dance belongs with Indian communities, but I have no idea if the diasporic relationship changes at all in other communities. The Indian population in the UK is of course quite thriving - both large and dense in certain areas - and it has the key advantage that I know about it first hand.
I can try to re-term my references to the UK to include other diasporic ocmmunities, but I'm a bit nervous that I might say something actually wrong!

I think you don't have too worry too much if you keep your comments general. For example, just saying:

Indian dance classes are flourishing in diasporic communities throughout the world, especially as families seek to strengthen their children's ties to their native culture.


Mikey

Hi there, again! Just wanted to let you know that I tried selecting this one as one of my scout picks, but the editors wanted to wait until you had a chance to make these last changes -- if you can do that in the next day or so, I'll pick it again, and you'll be on your way to having an entry in the Edited Guide!

Hi there - many thanks! Those last changes are now in, so hope you like the result!

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Yay!!!!