So you think you can dance

Saw this episode yesterday night.
For the first time some performance done in the west using Indian techniques did not offend me.The dancers Katee and Joshua nailed it. They had no clue what Bollywood dance style is yet they pulled it gracefully. The song is from recent movie Om Shanti Om but originally from a Sunil Dutt starer.

Bollywood dance stems out of Indian Classical and folk dance forms. And hence has similar expressions and hand gestures.
Here in the video you can see the choreographers instructing them how a change in the angle of a hand gesture (Mudra) can be offending.
Being trained in Bharat Natyam (Indian Classical Dance) for over 7 years makes it difficult for me to let go and forgive attempts made to use Indian dance style in westernized form. Cause more often then not instead of respecting and blending the style performers end up offending the core.
Nigel Lythgoe quickly points out glimpses of hip-hop and russian steps in it which reflects the cultural influences and similarities that dance forms bring to the floor. The zest to get everything right in the choreography and showing respect towards the traditional dance form reflects that the West is ready to allow itself get influenced by the developing world (which was developed long ago and destroyed by waves of rulers) for good.

Seeing Joshua and Katee dance to bollywood tunes and the crowd rooting for them was fantabulous! As judge Nigel Lythgoe says "I wish the world would come together with dance rather than what we are doing at the moment."