International Dance Day in India being celebrated through Spic Macay performances

The main celebration for International Dance Day is set for April 29, 2026, in Manila, Philippines, as announced by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). "Designed as both an artistic and public event, this celebration will unite professional dancers, cultural practitioners, communities, and international representatives to showcase the diversity and energy of dance as a universal language," the ITI stated, encouraging people worldwide to organize events that celebrate the ability of dance to connect cultures.

In India, to honor the universal power of dance to unite people, educational institutions will host events featuring classical styles like Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Odissi, along with contemporary performances, workshops, and seminars at places like the India International Centre and through organizations such as SPIC MACAY.

This blogger, who is both an educator and researcher, has been promoting the use of dance as a form of bodily-kinesthetic learning, particularly through Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. He sees dance not merely as a physical art form but as a "tool for knowledge construction" that changes classroom learning from a passive experience to an active, embodied process. There is a need to use dance as a way to move education beyond just listening, engaging students through movement to foster a deeper understanding. According to Kishore, dance serves as a learning tool that combines various intelligences, including spatial-visual, musical-rhythmic, and interpersonal skills. He believes that by integrating movement into classroom instruction, teachers can better connect with students who have different learning styles and may find traditional linguistic or logical methods challenging.

The official website of the 'News- CID Dance Day International Dance Council' (http://www.danceday.cid-portal.org › index.php › news) published an article by Dr. Lalit Kishoe advocating for the inclusion of dance in classroom curricula. This approach aims to incorporate Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences for both cognitive and non-cognitive benefits, including spiritual intelligence.

However, while the integration of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 seeks to elevate traditional Indian dance forms within the educational curriculum, there is very little action being taken. Schools often hire choreographers to have students mimic modern dance styles in a way that distracts from learning, resulting in miseducation.

The NEP 2020 policy document emphasizes the importance of art-integrated, experiential learning to promote a better understanding of India's cultural heritage and aesthetic values in school curricula. It suggests that classical dance forms should be mandatory until the 10th standard to support holistic development. Yet, schools seem unsure about how to effectively use dance as a medium for teaching subjects.