Presenting a mixed bag of styles, a five-member dance troupe from the Rostov region of the Russian Federation, and Elena Nikolevna, choreographer, scripted a winning medley that kept the audience glued to their seats for the entire duration of the performance.
Dressed in gorgeously sequinned costumes and tunics typically seen in ice skating and gymnastic routines, the prodigiously skilled dancers communicated high-voltage energy.
The opening number was a folk dance by Kikel Ekaterina, all willowy suppleness and effortless pirouettes. Her picture-perfect appearance in a blue, white and silver tunic with a traditional head dress put you in mind of a doll atop a rotating music box. A trained belly dancer, Novoselova Evgenia presented two gracefully choreographed items, her sinuous moves emphasising flexibility of waist and enviable control over abdominal muscles.
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Understandably anxious to convey the correct picture, the announcer earnestly assured viewers that belly dancing was a time-tested fitness routine, not to be confused with its depiction in films as an erotic dance form!
Kruglak Tatiana showcased the art of Flamenco – the characteristic rapid shimmying to cross rhythms, imperious toss of the head, out flung arms and quickening beats adding up to an impressive form of native expression that conveyed pride in heritage. Rather puzzling though was the pop beat that surfaced in the accompanying music just as the dancer was getting into the groove of a traditional Spanish air.
In the Kalinka song, Savchenko Maria twirled large golden hoops, bending and twisting with the suppleness that marks a floor routine. Performing as a duo, Maria and Tatiana, donning beautifully designed white costumes, achieved amazing postures among which the high point was a stunning display of balance, with one artist being supported by and suspended over the other.
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The show stopper, however, was the breathtaking ‘Bird Dance’ by Kikel Ekaterina. Materialising in a beam of surreal blue light as a sprite encased in glittering white with sleeve folds that unfurled into gauzy silver wings, the dancer whirled and mimed flight with such delicacy, imagination and precision that the viewer flew straight into the realm of fantasy – a brilliantly conceived and choreographed piece that was absolutely the stuff of dreams.
Konovalova Natalia’s ‘Fireball Dance’ was one the artist was determined to present, albeit in the safest possible mode, backed with precautionary measures. Tracing circles in the air with balls of fire, the artist displayed extraordinary control over wrist and shoulder flexion. Latin American dynamics fired ‘Viva Cuba’ performed by a threesome who matched steps in excellent synchronisation and symmetry.
If there was one thing that struck an odd note, it was the layering of sounds in the recorded music, amplified overloud. In some segments, the oriental airs were underscored by pop beats, making it incumbent upon the talented choreographer to find a happy meeting point for conflicting energies that simply did not gel.
The programme staged at the Russian Cultural Centre was jointly organised by the Indo Russian Cultural and Friendship Society, the Indo Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the Russian Cultural Centre, ICCR, BRICS Generation.