Music, dance can provide relief from anxiety caused by Covid-19: VP Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said that music and dance can provide relief from the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launching the virtual festival of 'Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance' organised by Natya Tarangini in partnership with the United Nations, the vice president said that music and dance rejuvenate and energise people and make their lives more fulfilling.

They bring harmony into our lives and nourish our inner spirit by dispelling gloom and despair, he opined.

Naidu said there could not have been a better time than now for holding the dance and music festival as the normal life has been disrupted by lockdowns, economic downturns and lack of social interaction caused by the pandemic an official statement said.

Noting that the pandemic has caused the theatres and auditoriums to remain closed for the last few months impacting the performing arts industry, Naidu wanted the artists and institutions to leverage technology and find new avenues to propagate and preserve the tradition.

The festival has been organised to coincide with the World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage on Tuesday.

Referring to Samaveda and Bharatamuni's Natyashastra, the vice president said India has a glorious tradition of music and dance.

He said that India's diverse art forms of dance, music, and drama represent our common civilisational philosophy and values like harmony, unity and solidarity.

There is also a distinct focus on devotion, spirituality and there is an entire gamut of expressions of nine 'rasas' that constitute human existence, he added.

Naidu said that people must constantly review and renew the traditional treasures. He also wanted systematic incorporation of these elements in the education system to sustain the 'parampara' (tradition).

Making performing arts a compulsory part of the curriculum would help students to become confident, shed inhibitions, explore hidden talents and nurture creativity, he felt.

Stressing that in current times, the world needs a message of harmony within the body and an ability to live harmoniously with everyone around.

Naidu said the pandemic has demonstrated to humankind the dangerous consequences of disrupting nature and its habitat.

In this regard, he called for keeping environmental protection and sustainability at the core of every action of individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Emphasising that it is our duty to pass on a safer and greener planet to future generations, Naidu said that 'Bharatiya' culture and civilisational values have always highlighted the importance of harmonious co-existence with the nature and all living things.

Since ancient times, the Indian culture has accorded reverence to nature and nurtured environmental-friendly practices, he said.

Terming the public-private-partnership as the need of the hour, the vice president appealed to all industry leaders to promote art, culture and sports to equip new generation of India for a better future.

Raja Reddy, Radha Reddy, the legendary Kuchipudi dance couple,Lakshmi Puri, former UN assistant secretary general, GMallikarjuna Rao, chairman, GMR group attended the online event.