Review of Mélange of Dances

Oh and this review was published as well:
July 7th, in the Ravindra Bharati theatre Hyderabadis were given a unique cross-cultural experience: an east-west fusion dance show. The show combined classical Kuchipudi dance with contemporary western ballet-based dance. Three young and ambitious dancers choreographed the entire performance, which was possible because of a joint effort between the Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad, the Department of Culture of Andhra Pradesh and the French Embassy. These three dancers intended to give life to a new style of dance; they wanted to make, according to the dancer Sheik Haleem, “something new to show what we are.”
The dancers were successful at attaining this goal, Haleem especially shined brightly in front of an eager audience. The show was divided into two parts. Each section began with a group Kuchipudi dance in which a group of female dancers introduced the three stars, Haleem, Koka Vijaylaksmi and Maia Bouthors. In the first section, the three artists demonstrate their individual dance expertise. Dressed in traditional garb, the two Kuchipudi dancers, Vijaylaksmi and Haleem, brought cheers from the crowded auditorium with their expressive and powerful movements. The western dressed Bouthors, then displayed expertise in combining her classical ballet training and the freedom of contemporary dance to tell emotion filled stories. The combination seemed a bit shaky during her first dance, but Maia redeemed herself in her second appearance with windswept grace and emotion. The first half of the performance displayed each individual’s dance style and contrasted the abrupt movements of Kuchipudi with the free flow of western ballet. The second half of the show would combine the two into an extravagant fusion.
The second half started exactly as the first had, with the same dance. The only differences were in costumes; the dancers were color coordinated allowing further expectations of a united style. I was worried. How could these three young people, one Christian, one Muslim and one Hindu, combine such contrary dance forms? I was expecting Frankenstein’s monster to emerge out of an explosion of cultural differences. What I saw, however, was fantastic and magical. It was clear that each dancer had taken the initiative to thoroughly understand and practice the other’s art. The fusion dances were unstoppable and gorgeous. Their talent and combined effort allowed these young artists to create something unforgettable that can be appreciated across borders, languages and cultures.