The 2nd AWAKE Hong Kong Indian Dance Festival: "Together Under ONE Roof"【Phase I】BEYOND Bollywood

The vibrant and diverse culture of India stems from its various regions, backgrounds, lifestyles, and languages. Well-known by all, Indians are also very good party makers! Colourful festivals are important ways to celebrate their own culture.

The 2nd AWAKE Indian Dance Festival will be held from October to December this year. Conceptualised and organised by BEYOND Bollywood, the festival will showcase rich and diverse values of India through more than 20 activities under the theme of “Together Under ONE Roof”.

The first phase of activities will kick off with guided tours and an Indian Carnival, bringing together people from different backgrounds in a joyful and relaxed atmosphere! It aims to foster cultural dialogue by exploring the ever-flowing river of Indian culture that has been intertwined with Hong Kong's history.
Multiple guided tours, performances, and workshops are currently open for registration. Gather your loved ones and friends and immerse yourselves in the profound experience of Indian culture from various perspectives!

1 ) ISKCON Religious Culture Experience Tour - Partner with Hong Kong Free Tours
Venue: ISKCON Hong Kong (6/F, Ocean View Court, 27 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui)

India is home to countless gods and goddesses, and its beliefs encompass a wide range of practices. For those who wish to understand the philosophical aspects of Indian religions, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Why not join us on a journey into the Hong Kong chapter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON ) ?

Established in 1966, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON ) is a religious organization based on ancient Indian Vedic religion and considers the Bhagavad Gita as its sacred text. They are dedicated to promoting spiritual practices, advocating for simple living and vegetarianism. We will enter the temple of ISKCON Hong Kong chapter, participate in their devotional chanting sessions, personally experience wearing traditional Indian attire, engage in their sacred praise rituals, and savor a vegetarian lunch prepared with care by the devotees. Through this multi-sensory experience, you can immerse yourself in their religious culture!

2 ) Indian Folk Art Workshop : Dot Mandala

Mandala, derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "sacred circle," is a complex and beautiful geometric pattern created through the use of dots and circles. Focusing on each individual dot while creating a mandala can aid in meditation and emptying the mind, bringing a sense of calm to the artist. This concentrated state also helps cultivate a state of flow, leading to joy and a sense of fulfillment. Instructor Sarika will guide you in using basic mandala dotting techniques to create your own mandala artwork on a chosen object.

3 ) “Dance.Trace” Exhibition Guided Tour

“Where the hand goes, eyes follow. Where the eye goes, there the mood follows.
Where the mind goes, there arises the sentiment. When sentiment arises, there is rasa. ”
– Natya Shastra

With hand being the first one to be mentioned, Indian dance has an iconic language – Mudra. Although there are several branches, they all follow the same system. More than a significant religious symbol, it is also a language to express both physical and physiological emotion.
The exhibition revolves around extensive mudra in Indian dance with artworks made by Indian artists echoing the dance spirit. In the exhibition, audience can explore 8 Indian classical dances, folk dances and Bollywood dance – and their culture behind.
The exhibition presents India's unique art perception and provides a special aesthetics experience to the audience, revealing the footprints of Indian dance development.

4 ) Opening ceremony - The 2nd AWAKE Indian Dance Festival Carnival

Dance holds great significance in Indian culture. It not only serves as entertainment but also as a vehicle for storytelling and community inclusion. Its development is closely related to Hinduism as well.

The Indian Carnival is opening with Indian dance performance featuring dancers of different ages. The lineup includes Bollywood, Garba, Bhangra, Odissi and Kathak dance, offering a rare opportunity to witness a public showcase of various classical and contemporary Indian dance forms in Hong Kong.

We cordially invite you and your loved ones to attend the event, where you can also participate in the Indian Bazaar and the Dance.Trace Exhibition. Additionally, guided tours and Indian Folk art workshop led by Sarika will be available for a multi-dimensional experience of the rich Indian culture. Reserve a seat by registry on Art-mate!

5 ) Indian Culture Salon - Imaginative Language: Forms and context of artistic expression in performing and visual arts

Primitive humans would express the world and abstract concepts through intuition and concrete words. After humans had abstract thinking, these concrete words were forgotten, and the only remaining concrete words constitute the mythology that we know today.

Nowadays, we choose the opposite way to interpret mythology, giving meaning to these symbols through abstract body language and images, and expressing the content of mythology in performances. Mythology is the foundation of Indian culture. No matter dance or visual works, they all have some elements of Indian myth. Colors, totems, and even mudras all convey hidden mythological meanings. In this salon, we invite Indian folk visual art and Indian dance artists to share how they convey mythological content through different art forms, and whether there are common points in this process, such as the matching of colors, the use of lines and patterns, etc. Furthermore, how do these arts help to perform today's folk culture? In their teaching, in addition to helping students understand Indian aesthetics, what kind of current Indian cultural world do they want to show? Are their works also telling a common story?

6 ) Performance & Sharing - Indian Carnival

Dance plays a significant role in Indian culture. It not only serves as a means of expressing emotions and providing entertainment but also as a vehicle for storytelling and community inclusion. It is also an important medium within Hinduism.

On the second day of the Indian Carnival, performances by professional Indian dancers are showcasing rare Indian classical dances in Hong Kong. These include Kathak, Kuchipudi dance, Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam dance. Following the half-hour dance performances, there will be a sharing session where the dancers will personally introduce the rich history and culture of Indian classical dance, allowing the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the inseparable relationship between dance and Indian culture.

7 ) Indian Culture Salon - Chasing Trace

4 curators from The Chinese University of Hong Kong used their experience and knowledge to jointly curate the exhibition "Dance. Trace", following the steps of dance to trace the development of Indian dance culture. In this salon, they will share with you what they have seen and heard during the curatorial journey. Let's get to know Indian culture from the scratch. Regardless of any difficulties, harvests, or curatorial skills, they will share with the audience about the concept behind.