Often we speak about the global man. World is a global village now. Tracing similarities across cultures is the call of the day. Thus, aptly titled ‘Connections’, dancer- choreographer Rukmini Chatterjee’s three-day dance and music festival had some of the crème de la crème of international artists at the fifth edition of the festival at the Shri Ram Center in New Delhi this past week.
The opening night had a French contemporary jazz trio presented by Chatterjee. On piano was Rémi Panossian, playing the drums was Frederic Petitprez, and the double base had Maxime Delporte. Staying true to the improvisational character of jazz as an art form, the trio, although presented rehearsed pieces, had a sense of spontaneity in them. Panossian on the piano began with a playful solo, hitting the notes sonorously, and showcasing a deft pedalling technique. Base player, Maxime had a particularly haunting quality about his music. And Frederic, with his experimental take on using the drum set to emit innovative sounds, was at best in creating thought provoking musical ideas. The trio together was avant-garde in their overall approach to music which the Delhi audience seemed to have enjoyed much, giving them a standing ovation and a call for an encore.
Next evening was a Chinese classical dance performance by the Beijing Dance Academy, supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. Beginning with Female pas de trios or the ‘Slender Waist of Chu Girls’, performers presented an ancient dance based on chu culture which was fluid and portrayed unrestrained charms of the trio. Next was a warlike ‘Emperor Qin Calling up Troops’ which balanced out the languid beauty of the preceding piece with its martial arts inspired movement repertoire.
Creating an ink-like painting with a colourful fan, displaying the classical Chinese technique with her implicit gestures was another piece titled “Fan Painting”. Standing out for its sheer elegance and beauty, next one witnessed Pas de deux or “Romance Under The Umbrella”, where the umbrella played a pivotal role as a prop, displaying the yearning and developing emotions between two lovers. The scene faded out aesthetically with the two lovers holding and standing under the umbrella in embrace.
Remembering home
“Alone in the desert” was yet again a martial art inspired piece where the male dancer characterised as a Chinese soldier reminiscences about his hometown and alone in the vast arid desert, meditates upon the passing of life. Speaking of connections, this piece was akin to Huyen langlon, a martial art of Manipur, replete with swords and armour. “Spring Outing”, with the dancer’s clean leg extensions, and “Ode to the faithful love of Swan Goose”, with its layered costumes fanning arrestingly, were the other two solo dances. The evening ended on a high note with “Flying Apsaras” where the dancer waved 20-meter long silk belts, creating dream like illusory artistic conceptions of the Dunhuang art.
With few of the pieces choreographed by Weiya Chen who had also choreographed the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, curtains came down with yet another standing ovation to this mélange of cultural fiesta.
