East meets west: Sharmila Mukherjee brings Odissi elegance to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake

A moment from the ballet, Hansika. Pics Courtesy/Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance

Rudyard Kipling might have had to eat his words, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky might himself be surprised. After all, both Victorian icons lived at a time that firmly believed that "East is East/and West is West/ and never the twain shall meet". Not if Sharmila Mukherjee has something to say about it. The founder of Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance in Bengaluru will open her first performance of Hansika, in the city on Saturday. The adaptation of Tchaikovsky's famed ballet production, Swan Lake, transforms the very European tale into an Indian fable told through Odissi.

Sharmila Mukherjee performs a scene from the ballet

"I was fascinated by Western ballet as a child, and intrigued by the pictures and visuals of Swan Lake performances," reveals Mukherjee, a student of the legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra. No wonder then that she found similarities in the balletic movements and Odissi's fluidity. "In Odissi, we have movements gliding on our toes. The Ardha Chauk is not too dissimilar from their first positions, second positions, or demi plies," she points out.

In fact, the danseuse educates us that the ancient Indian art form has a movement titled Hamsa Gati, quite literally the movement of swans. "That's what convinced me," she laughs. Yet, there are dissonances in the two forms. Aside from the synchronised harmony of the form, ballet can be rigid in its movements. Mukherjee elaborates, "In terms of expression or abhinaya, we are different. We use a lot of hand gestures or mudras. In fact, for this choreography, I did include a lot of toe movements to keep in sync with the theme," she shares.

While the performances use traditional Odissi mudras, the costumes were adapted to reflect the theme of the story

The production was first conceived in 2018, and has since travelled across the country and the world before arriving in the Maximum City. The reason is the long schedule. "We are 17 performers in all, and often most of them are working. It takes us four months to prepare for a single performance," she shares.

Easier said than done. Any transposition of Swan Lake into a completely different form requires more than just adapting movements and physical expression. Tchaikovsky's ballet was defined, and even instantly recognised by its music. To transport it to the Indian milieu, Mukherjee teamed up with Praveen D Rao, and brought together a subliminal layer of Indian instruments. "We did not want to change the iconic Theme of the Swans, but layered it with the tabla, maddala, and the sitar to give it an Indian feel," the danseuse shares.

This will be the first performance of the production in Mumbai

The story also had to be adapted. One of the more memorable moments of Tchaikovsky's ballet is the ball room dance. But an Indian story has no place for a ballroom. "We adapted it into an Indian wedding celebration," says Mukherjee with a wry chuckle. The Mumbai edition will also feature a new addition to the performance. "We have included the Dance of the Little Swans (Danse des petits Cygnes) to this choreography. However, the difference is that Praveen has themed it to a faster, more energetic tempo," she reveals. Appropriately so, the evening will see less-privileged children from the Angel Xpress Foundation in attendance. Perhaps, a few new swans will emerge after this visual experience.

ON November 8; 7.30 pm
AT Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Bandra West.
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