A scene from Hansika
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association
Swan Lake has lived on as a permanent story of human nature ever because it was written as a ballet by Russian composer Tchaikovsky round 1875. As with most fairy tales, it has components of enchantment and betrayal, a love misplaced and located, a tragic hero and honest maiden, and naturally, the scheming villain.
This weekend, the Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance will current Hansika, an Odissi adaptation of Swan Lake directed by Sharmila Mukerjee.
“I grew up studying rather a lot about ballet throughout my childhood, and Swan Lake was one of many items that constantly attracted me. I at all times thought I’d produce it sooner or later once I had my very own establishment,” says Sharmila, danseuse and founding father of Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance in Bengaluru.
Sharmila Mukherjee in a scene from Hansika
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association
“I knew that it might be a number of work as it’s a mega manufacturing involving a big solid and elaborate units. As a dance type, Odissi lends itself to the premise of Swan Lake with its sleek, swan-like actions, and I believed it might work nicely as this ballet,” she provides.
“I assumed working with Tchaikovsky’s music and conserving the theme could be fascinating. I used to be fortunate to get Praveen D Rao, a Bangalore-based music director with an incredible grasp of Western and Japanese classical music. He has superbly used conventional Indian devices such because the tabla, sitar and pakhavaj in addition to the violin to set the rating for this manufacturing.”
Sharmila provides that although Hansika follows the identical storyline as Swan Lake, there have been a couple of “tweaks to suit it into the Indian context”. Nearly a yr within the making, Sharmila says the costumes have been designed to align with the unique theme. Therefore, ethereal whites and crowns for the swans, although not a part of conventional Odissi costume, seem in Hansika.
“I’ve depicted Odette and Odile as two sisters who’re competing with one another. One other adaptation to the Indian context is the haldi for the marriage ceremony,” says Sharmila.
A scene from Hansika
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association
The lighting too, displays the numerous shades of affection, betrayal, jealousy and different feelings that unfold on stage, she says, including, “This 55-minute lengthy manufacturing is a fast-paced affair with drama, a love story and exquisite music”.
Sharmila, who based the Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance in 2004, educated below guru Kelucharan Mohapatra within the conventional method of guru shishya parampara. “At the moment, it’s not potential to do the identical, however I’ve tried to offer my college students a way of that legacy and to innovate as nicely. In any other case, one stagnates — we now have to maneuver ahead,” she says.
“I at all times attempt to embrace a social message in my productions, and Hansika isn’t any exception,” Sharmila provides.
Hansika, an Odissi adaptation of Swan Lake, might be staged on February 4 at ADA Rangamandira, JC Street, at 6.30pm. Tickets ranging from ₹500 can be found on AllEvents.in
Sharmila Mukherjee in a scene from Hansika
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association
