It is not uncommon to find stories of struggle in art — from Vincent Van Gogh, who rose to fame posthumously, to composer Johann Sebastian Bach who turned blind. The roots of Obraz — a dance ensemble from the city Kaluga in Western Russia — are similar. Founded by Elena Golub in 1966, the troupe had to brave financial troubles, but that journey eventually gave it direction. In 2001, the ensemble was conferred with the title of "Narodny" or people’s ensemble and has continued to win similar honours in 2012 and 2017. It now comprises 164 troupe members, aged four to 35 years. And tomorrow, the group is all set to perform in the city as part of an event organised by The Russian Centre for Science & Culture.

Sergey Kandeev