[中] [Eng] 延續的脈絡：從不可思議印度藝術節看印度舞在香港的根與路 Continuity in Motion: Weaving the "Thread of Tradition” of Indian Dance in Hong Kong

文 Text：Benis Cheng

在街頭舞出的對話

第二屆「不可思議印度藝術節」於 3 月 21 日及 22 日在蘭桂坊舉行，由香港印度印度駐港總領事館與蘭桂坊協會合辦，兩天的節目涵蓋十多組傳統、民族及寶萊塢舞蹈表演與街頭巡遊，並有瑜伽、烹飪示範、心理健康講座、電影放映、音樂表演及文化攤位，包括印度餐廳、ISKCON HK（國際奎師那知覺協會香港分會）、Henna（傳統手部彩繪）、Ayurveda（阿育吠陀是源自印度的千年傳統醫學，主張透過自然療法達成身心平衡 印度傳統草本養生）等，為觀眾提供多層次的文化體驗。

BEYOND Bollywood 受邀演出三場街頭巡遊 - Baraat Procession。原為印度婚禮迎親隊伍的 Baraat，在這裡被轉化為流動的文化巡遊，象徵喜悅、祝福與社群凝聚。我構思這巡遊概念主題「傳承之線」，以絲巾為象徵，串連古典印度舞 Kathak 與2023年列入 UNESCO 非物質文化遺產的 Gujarat Garba，最終以寶萊塢舞點燃街頭氣氛。傳統不是靜止遺產，而是一條被不斷舞動與重新編織的文化線。舞者穿行蘭桂坊與中環街頭，觀眾即使未理解舞蹈語彙，也能感受到節奏與情感的共鳴。這讓我深刻體會：藝術節不只是文化展示，更是一個跨文化相遇與理解的場域。

照片由 BEYOND Bollywood 提供

本次巡遊團隊包括由Victor Kumar 古維德(藝術總監、編舞及舞者)負責編舞，舞者包括Purvi Thakkar Butola, Pallavi Singh, Shanti (Sun Chau), Garima, Kathryn, Priti, Pooja, Wendy, Wing, Vienna。他們的合作，使舞蹈超越表演，成為文化傳承與連結的隱喻，也呼應 BEYOND Bollywood 在香港舞蹈界的「橋樑角色」。

照片由 BEYOND Bollywood 提供

藝術節與香港的印度印記

印度文化在香港歷史悠久，自開埠以來，印度社群參與城市發展，從商業、法律、教育、運輸、宗教到警隊與醫療，並留下廟宇、餐館及節慶活動。然而在主流藝文圈中，印度舞仍常被視為「外來節慶藝術」。這次藝術節讓印度舞走進街頭，城市成為共享舞台，讓我們重新審視這段文化關係。

BEYOND Bollywood 的實踐

「BEYOND」象徵突破大眾對印度舞的既有框架，同時也是一場回歸文化本源的深層探索寶萊塢固定印象，也是一種回歸文化本源的探索。我們促成香港與印度舞者合作，透過不同身體訓練、節奏語言與文化背景的碰撞，建立理解與共創。

「傳承之線」正體現這種理念：舞蹈超越演出，成為文化傳承與連結的隱喻，也呼應 BEYOND Bollywood 在香港舞蹈界的「橋樑角色」。

觀察與反思

街頭表演模糊了舞台與觀眾界線。觀眾可能不解手勢或舞蹈語彙，卻能感受節奏、能量與情感共振。在與印度舞者合作中，節奏、即興與身體語言的磨合本身就是理解的開始。這種未被翻譯的理解，是跨文化交流最真實也最動人的部分。

照片由 BEYOND Bollywood 提供

展望：讓印度舞成為香港的一部分

我希望印度舞不被視為「他者的表演」，而是香港文化的一部分。「融合」不等於同化，而是共存與對話。印度舞不應只停留在節慶或展示，而應逐步成為本地舞蹈語境的一個聲部。在多元香港，主流應該是多聲部的。

絲巾仍在空中流動。它所連結的，不只是舞蹈形式，也不只是文化，而是人與人願意理解與共舞的心。我希望未來觀眾看到的，不僅是異國節奏，而是一種屬於香港的、多元共存的舞蹈語言。

*編者按：作者習印度舞多年，一直致力於印度舞推廣；透過此文章作者以策劃人的角度，闡述印度舞如何開展在地的社區對話。

A Dialogue in the Streets

The 2nd Incredible India Festival took place on March 21-22 in Lan Kwai Fong, co-presented by the Consulate General of India in Hong Kong and the Lan Kwai Fong Association, unfolding as a two-day, full-scale cultural event. There were Indian dance performances, including traditional ,folk and contemporary Bollywood dance, by more than ten groups alongside street parades.

Photo provided by BEYOND Bollywood

The programme also included yoga, cooking demonstrations, mental health talks, film screenings and live music. Cultural booths ranged from Indian restaurants and ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Hong Kong to henna art (traditional hand painting) and Ayurveda experiences (Indian herbal wellness practices), offering audiences a multi-layered cultural experience.

Photo provided by BEYOND Bollywood

BEYOND Bollywood performed three street parades inspired by the Baraat Procession. Traditionally part of Indian weddings, Baraat symbolizes joy, blessing and communal celebration. Here, it became a moving cultural procession through the city. I curated the parade theme “Thread of Tradition,” using a flowing scarf to link Indian classical Kathak to Gujarat Garba (UNESCO intangible cultural heritage 2023), culminating in an energetic Bollywood finale.

Tradition is not a static inheritance but a living thread, continuously danced and rewoven. As we moved through Lan Kwai Fong and Central, audiences, even without understanding the dance vocabulary, felt the rhythm and emotional resonance. This highlights the central perspective: the festival is not only a cultural showcase, but a site of cross-cultural encounter and understanding.

This was personified by the parade team, which included Artistic Director & Choreographer Victor Kumar performing together with Purvi Thakkar Butola, Pallavi Singh, Shanti (Sun Chau), Garima, Kathryn, Priti, Pooja, Wendy, Wing and Vienna in a rich collaboration of performers from different dance backgrounds.

Indian Imprints in Hong Kong

The Indian presence in Hong Kong is long-standing. Dating back to the colonial period, Indians have not only made immense contributions to the city in the fields of commerce, law, education, transportation, religion, policing and healthcare, but also left clear traces of their presence through many temples, restaurants and festivals in Hong Kong. Yet Indian dance is still often seen as “external festival art” in mainstream discourse.

The festival allowed Indian dance to take over the streets, turning the city into a shared stage and offering a chance to reconsider this cultural relationship.

BEYOND Bollywood in Practice

“BEYOND” represents a departure from traditional perceptions of Indian dance, tracing a path back to its cultural origins on a transformative journey of discovery.

“Thread of Tradition” is a concept which embodies this ethos: dance moves beyond performance, becoming a metaphor for cultural transmission and connection, reflecting BEYOND Bollywood’s bridging role in Hong Kong.

Observations: Understanding Beyond Understanding

In street performances, the boundary between stage and audience blurs. Spectators may not be able to decode gestures, but they can feel the rhythm, energy and emotion. Working with Indian dancers, I see how rhythm, improvisation and bodily communication become the starting point for understanding. This untranslatable understanding is the most authentic and moving part of cross-cultural exchange.

Photo provided by BEYOND Bollywood

Looking Forward: Towards Belonging

It is my hope that Indian dance will not always be seen as “performance of the Other,” but as part of Hong Kong’s cultural fabric. Integration does not mean assimilation—it means coexistence and dialogue. Indian dance should move beyond festival stages to become one of the many voices in Hong Kong’s dance landscape. Mainstream, in a diverse city, should be inherently plural.

The scarf continues to flow. It connects not only forms and traditions, but people—through a shared willingness to understand and dance together. I hope audiences will see not only an “exotic rhythm,” but a diverse dance language that belongs to Hong Kong itself.

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Benis Cheng

BEYOND Bollywood 聯合創辦人 Benis Cheng，從金融業跨界至藝術與文化領域，致力以跨文化合作和國際交流推動印度舞的長遠發展。