“I speak of my memories through dance. Each day, there’s something new to add,” says French contemporary dancer Cécile Loyer. In the city to choreograph a performance for the Alliance Française of Madras, she is weaving together her style of dance with Bharatanatyam. For Cécile, who has trained under various people, the Indian dance form with its roots in our culture and tradition was completely new.
She compares the abhinaya or facial expressions of the dancer to a Japanese dance form that requires the performer to make maximum use of facial muscles. “While a Bharatanatyam dancer follows a guru, as a contemporary dancer, I do not follow any particular style,” she says.
Despite their differences, the two dance forms are similar in the way they “relate to space and the body”. “They are there on the stage for the same reason; their language is the same,” adds Cécile. Her piece will bring together Bharatanatyam dancers Renjith Babu and Vijna Vasudevan and European contemporary dancers Mai Ishiwata and Steven Hervouet to perform for a composition by Sylvain Chauveau.
Her pieces are known for their surprise elements that she hopes will make the audience sit up. Her current piece too will have its share of revelations. For instance, “we will have Bharatanatyam dancers performing for rock n’ roll,” she smiles. Cécile says that the dancers “will bring their own dance”, but will “find a new language on stage. They will write their own story.”
The contemporary dance performance is “a study of choreographic art” in partnership with the Centre region of France and Tamil Nadu. It will be staged at the Edouard Michelin Auditorium in the Alliance Française of Madras at 7.30 p.m. on December 20 and 21. Entry is free and is open to all.
