JOIN USIndo-French ballet for Delhiites
Delhiites got a flavour of Indo-French collaborative work when ‘Swan Lake - Revisited’ was brought to life for the first time in India with the whole dance production being based on Kathak, Classical Ballet and Classical Jazz Dance.
“We are all familiar with the story of Swan Lake. Similar stories of good and bad, victory of love over hate abound around the globe irrespective of disparity in cultures or geographical boundaries,” says Suresh K Goel, Director General, ICCR.
‘Swan Lake - Revisited’ is a collaborative project in which French choreographer Gianin Loringett - the only living legend of Classical Jazz Dance in the world, has guided a French tap dancer and Indian dancers from Rhythmosaic Dance Company who perform Classical Jazz Dance, Ballet, Kathak and Flamenco to translate the traditional interpretation of Swan Lake into a different genre of dance and music. Mitul Sengupta uses Kathak to represent Princes Odette, the White Swan and Flamenco represents Odile, the Black Swan.
The importance of this collaboration was to bring about a synthesis in the two distinct dance forms - Kathak and Jazz, on one platform. It is pertinent topoint out that Jazz is the only dance form in the whole world which is very similar to Kathak.
Gianin is the 3rd generation to take up Classical Jazz Dance in his family and Ronnie Shambik Ghose is fourth generation performer and the only practitioner of Classical Jazz Dance in India. Mitul Sengupta is the only performer in India who has created a unique movement system using Kathak and Classical Jazz together giving an entirely new dimension to her recital. It was because of this attribute that Mitul was invited to Cannes Dance Festival; Off Jazz Dance Academy, France and Nice University, France where she delivered a lecture enhancing the uniqueness and possibilities of fusing the two classical dance forms.
In the Tchaikovsky’s original version of Swan Lake, Prince Siegfried falls in love with the beautiful Odette, who is turned into a swan by Von Rothbart the evil sorcerer, when she rejects his advances. Rothbart transforms his own daughter Odile into an Odette look alike, causing Siegfried to mistakenly profess his love. The real Odette is distraught, as is Siegfried, when he uncovers the deception. Odette forgives him when he explains how he was tricked but the lovers die due to the machinations of Von Rothbart, being joined for eternity in death. Prince Siegfried and Odette pay with their lives and the swans are released from Von Rothbart’s evil spell.
The epic Swan Lake epitomises the eternal love story cursed with a lack of fulfillment but Gianin’s version echoes the fight not only for survival but for love, dignity and satisfaction.