Indian Dance Troupe Delights China

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Indian Dance Troupe Simply Divine

 

Leeda Samson, master of the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam,

mesmerized students at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing

during a recent performance there. The 400-seat music hall of the

conservatory was filled with students, many of whom were sitting on

the ground or standing on the windowsills. Samson, the renowned

educator, dancer and choreographer, was here this week on an

exchange program with the Conservatory. This month, she and her

dance troupe Spanda are to visit and perform in theatres and

academies in Shanghai and Hangzhou of East China's Zhejiang

Province. The Bharatanatyam Samson performs can be traced to the

second century. Accompanied by classical Indian music, it was

performed in Hindu sacrificial ceremonies to show respect to the god

Siva. Dancers of the Bharatanat-yam are usually gorgeously dressed

women with colourful flowers on their heads, shining ornaments on

their noses and rings on their ears. They wave their hands and arms

freely around the body and balance themselves at the waist and

knee. "I told the students to pay special attention to my facial

expression, which is of vital importance in the dance," said Samson.

Samson said the dance, which depicts the dialogue between the souls

of human beings (represented by the women dancers) and the soul of

the god, shows at its core "the search of each of us," Samson

said. "Women wanted to become united with the beloved, and people

wanted to be united with the god," she said. Samson and her troupe

have had great success in the development of classical dance, said

Chen Ziming, a professor at the Conservatory. Their dances, with

contemporary elements, are popular in India. "There is a well-

developed system in India to preserve and develop the traditional

arts. The artists of China and India are now working on co-operation

in this field," said Chen. China Daily October 21