Bound to live up to its name, an Indo-Franco dance troupe led by Cécile Loyer prepares to mesmerise audiences this evening with a dizzying undulation of symbolism and artistic expression aptly titled Histoires Vraies.
The show comprises two Indian dancers and two European dancers who will testify and narrate their stories through movement and role changing. The dancers’ walks of life will be communicated across and off the stage through this collective history.
First moves
In 2014, the National Theatre in Orléans, France, asked Cécile Loyer to work on a project with India considering the affiliations they have with Tamil Nadu. Elated with the offer, she embarked on a cultural journey and ultimately linked up with Vijna and Renjith, a couple who study Bharatanatyam. When it came to working on the choreography, the team had only three weeks, not much time for this kind of show.
The dance team is currently on a pan-India tour, having done shows in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, as well as a Thursday show in Delhi.
The rich narratives that come with both styles of dance are equally important to the group. There’s a great deal of discovery they went through, according to Mai Ishiwata, “I wasn’t really linked with Indian styles, and discovering all these things, such as the languages of the body and how it communicates is very important.”
Vijna Vasudevan explains, “Renjith has worked with dancers but mainly in short sequences. But this is the very first time to partake in a project like this, where we are involved from start to stage. As a couple, we are open to exploring a different language of dance; how different the body communicates with different senses of spaces. And despite all the diversity between each of us, we managed to find the commonality through exploring dance.” Renjith Babu adds that the emotional experience is the same for dancers though audiences may vary from city to city. Chennai, being used to traditional dancing, is just starting to open up to the realm of contemporary dance. In this case, Histoires Vraies is an ideal gateway.
Sylvain Chauveau, the music mastermind of the team shares, “The big common thing between all of us is that in Bharatanatyam and Western contemporary dance, you have to have a deep knowledge of what happened before— of the tradition and of the conscience, all while finding your own identity. The thing about Western contemporary dance — I may be wrong here — is that you don’t have to mould to a certain ancestry. It’s about making it different, whereas in Bharatanatyam, you have to be faithful to a certain form and vocabulary.”
He adds, “I was involved with the project from the start. I didn’t have to make an encounter with Western music and Indian music; I was free to do whatever I wished, and so I didn’t have to pretend to know what parts to take and how to rework it; I kept it all within my own musical universe. I also sampled some environmental sounds such as street noises, children talking on the beach, and so on. These ambient noises were what we saw from our travels here.”
Learning curves
The team went through a lot of learning and technique in terms of thinking, moving and concepts of space, according to Vijna. This has inspired a surge of inspiration amongst the group.
Steven Hervouet shares that coming together as a team was the most interesting and inspiring aspect for him; and so much of what has happened over the past few weeks will surely propel him in future projects.
For him and Mai, who went to school together, there is no singular learning experience during the whole process but rather the collective journey that has been truly remarkable.
Mai explains the familial connections and good vibes give a lot more to the project. “With such an environment, perhaps you’ll see a truly human experience happening on stage.”
Working out of France was very important for Cécile. “Over there, I know the system. But now I get to change countries, wipe the page and start over again. Understanding the cultural differences is a huge thing; how and why people do what they do. And to build this dance in three weeks reminds me it’s an enriching time for my work.”
Sylvain adds, “I loved finding out how Bharatanatyam works very well with rock music, especially that of the American alternative rock band The Pixies.” So one can anticipate a diverse soundscape as well as hypnotic movements from Histoires Vraies.
Histoires Vraies will be on stage at Ravindra Bharathi School, Lakadikapul on July 4 at 7:30pm. Entry is free
