A Mohiniyattam recital at Changampuzha Park, Edappally, recently had the audience mesmerised. The three dancers, their graceful movements, enchanted those who watched them. It would have been just another evening of classical dance had it not been for the dancers. The trio comprised a Hungarian, a German and a Russian.
The evening would have been intimidating for the dancers. They were performing before an audience familiar with the art form; to whom it belongs. Ksenia Lawrence, from St. Petersburg, Russia, says, “We had less than a week to prepare. It is not easy to perform in front of an Indian audience that knows the art form. But, in a way it motivated us to do well.”
She, along with the other two dancers, Brigitta Hegevues (Hungary) and Katrin Thierfelder (Germany), both based in Munich are students of Shyamala Surendran. They heard of Shyamala from her former students working in these countries. “It was a short time to prepare, but the girls did such a good job. They rehearsed and practised long hours,” says their proud guru, whom they refer to as Aunty. “It was a lot of work; both styles are so different. While Bharatanatyam is more dynamic, Mohiniyattam is slower. But learning both has been good – it strikes a balance,” Ksenia says. Shyamala says she wanted to give these dancers, especially Ksenia and Katrin, an opportunity to perform in the city. Brigitta has performed here before.
Ksenia runs a school for classical dance in St. Petersburg, while Brigitta teaches at one in Munich and in Hungary, “I am probably the only Mohiniyattam teacher in Hungary,” she says and Katrin learns at the dance school where Brigitta teaches. She has a full-time job as a teacher at the university in Munich.
Their paths to Indian classical dance were different, but the paths become one at the Dharani School of Performing Arts under Shyamala’s tutelage. With kohl-lined eyes, bindi, bangles and salwar kurta, Brigitta looks every bit the classical dancer. “I was living in Canada when I started learning yoga; one thing led to another and me to classical dance.”
At Munich she took up Bharatanatyam under one of Shyamala’s students. She had her Bharatanatyam arangettam in 2009 and Mohiniyattam in 2012. Every winter, from October to February, she is at Dharani learning. Not only does she teach dance, she also conducts dance workshops and recitals. She has performed at various venues in India too.
If yoga led Birgitta to Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, an entry pass to a workshop on Indian art forms brought Katrina, who loves to dance, to the classical dance forms. The rhythm pattern of these dance forms appeals to her.
A scientist, she comes to Kochi once every year for a month for ‘lessons’. And Ksenia ‘discovered’ Indian classical dance in 2001 and in 2004 she came to Dharani. Somewhere down the line she opened her dance school. Initially she came with her two children, now she travels alone as her kids are grown up.
“Ballet is more up in the air; the dancers have to move upwards but, Indian dances are more…” as Katrina looks for a word, Brigitta offers, “grounded” while Ksenia says, “rooted”. “The more dance you learn, the deeper you go into it and you find there is another world there. It is a never-ending story,” Birgitta says.
“I have done the most work while teaching my foreign students. They are unfamiliar with our mythology. I have to explain what every mudra and expression means,” says Shyamala. The visits to Shyamala are like refresher courses for them and a time to relax without the worries of teaching back home. “It is like going home to their mothers. No worries just relaxing and learning. They are like my children.”
There is a lot of curiosity and interest in Indian classical art forms in Europe, the trio says. Katrina adds, “Unlike other dance forms, anybody, no matter how old, can learn these dances and there is no need to stop.” Brigitta says she knows women in their 70s learning to dance. “There is definitely an interest in Indian classical art forms in Europe. Last year at Munich people patiently sat through lecture-demonstrations on Indian classical art forms such as Kalaripayattu that started at 2.30 p.m. and went on till 7.30 p.m.,” Shyamala adds.
All the visits to Kochi have made Ksenia and Brigitta familiar with the ins and outs of the city. Ksenia likes to walk and she discovers new roads, and Brigitta considers herself a minor authority on Kochi.
Once, she took Shyamala’s guests on a sightseeing trip to Fort Kochi. “During the last Biennale, Brigitta took us to Fort Kochi on the ferry.” And they take public transport as far as possible, “because back home that’s what we do.”
Listening to these women talk, the inevitable question is why and how do they manage to do what they do. “For us dance is our life, it is spiritual. It all comes down to prioritising and deciding what you really want. Once you know the answer you do what is needed to fulfil that desire,” Birgitta signs off.
