Social Change At The Turn Of The 19th Century

For drastic change to occur, most, if not all, aspects of society must be reformed. To challenge the existing structure, new powers must rise up to take its place. Neither side wishes to back down, but only one group can be truly victorious in the end. These are the dynamics that have persisted in the world’s histories. As such, at critical turning points in a nation’s history, one can observe the tide of change by comparing the characteristics of old and new institutions. Focusing on a single industry, entertainment, specifically dance, has taken on a larger role during times of social change. Movement facilitates and challenges the process, and at times is altered itself. This complex relationship between evolving nations and popular dance

Before British occupation, Sadir was a traditional form of dance practiced in the temples and courts of South India. It was a highly respected art, but as colonization drained the financial stability of the female dancers, the devadasi, they turned to prostitution and their reputations were tarnished. So, when India began to rebuild after the British left, many people wanted to end the devadasi system and the practice of Sadir. Though popular, these reformist beliefs were met with opposition from revivalists like Balasaraswati, who believed that the dance was a vital part of India’s magnificent past. In the end, however, substantial reform occurred, and Sadir became known as Bharata Natyam (BN). History was slightly rewritten, and as one dancer was told, "A highly complex system rooted in religion had become 'corrupted' till the 'respectable' people of the south initiated a campaign in the last 1920s to abolish the ill-reputed devadasi system" (Meduri 1). Rukmini Devi was one of the respectable upper caste women who “fixed” the form and created BN, and she did so by changing its name, movements, and dancers; each change reflected on the new Indian identity. The label Bharata Natyam, which literally means “Indian Dance”, illustrated a break from longstanding tradition and the beginning of a new

For the US, the clear separation of modern ballroom from previous versions of social dancing challenged longstanding class and gender division, thus redefining the American character. Similarly, as India recovered from British colonization, traditional Sadir was dismantled in favor of Bharata Natyam; a symbol of the painful past was exchanged for an indicator of progress and independence, a new identity that could be expanded upon. Though these efforts were sometimes met with retaliation, people were able to achieve significant social change in the end. In both countries, dance allowed individuals to express their own needs and desires in times of modernizing change. From an egalitarian and utilitarian perspective, it was also a way to subvert negative historical stereotypes and move towards a better society. Regardless of the results, as millions of these embodied voices clashed or combined with one another in communal effort, new national identities were