An Indian art
In all cases, Indian dance is very concrete and subtle at the same time. This is true of all Indian art. Pleasure and saturation of the senses, profusion, rhythmic delight, all are the expression of a sense of wholeness and divine felicity.
The profusion of details and intricacy of gestures is there only to give full life to the rhythm of the dance. Like in Indian architecture, sculpture and painting, every empty space has to be filled with ornamentation. It is like displaying worlds within worlds, all unified in one global rhythm. The spectator can only be amazed, feel dizzy and lost, but aware of a global unity.
In Indian art, dance is very often, and very typically, represented as statues, in reliefs and in paintings. Many bronze and stone statues are actual dance positions. Otherwise they always use the same kind of language as the dance. Reliefs are more narrative but actual dance poses can be represented. Both reliefs and paintings are good means to enhance a two-dimensional aspect of dance. Indian two-dimensional dance does exist : shadow puppet plays. Here, the dancers are not humans but shadow characters. The technique is different from dance but codes, symbols and stories are shared by both forms.
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