Saying it with Hands.

I have to admit that I’ve learned quite a lot from watching YouTube. For example:

It’s interesting to compare the different approach taken by Indian and Chinese dancers with regard to hands.

Hands are obviously very important in Indian dance. A wide range of emotions, principles and so on are expressed by precisely controlled angles and movements. Chinese dance, in comparison, is more inclined to hide the hands with water sleeves and express the same things that way.

Might I suggest that this probably reflects a fundamental difference in Indian and Chinese cultural mores? Hindu culture appears to be far more permissive in its attitude to overt expression, whereas Chinese culture seems to be more innately demure.

That’s interesting, isn’t it? And probably wrong.

Next up is to compare Chinese dancers and their water sleeves with American cheerleaders and their pom-poms. Difficult territory.