Bollywood dances / Kalbelya Dance from Rajasthan

About the Bollywood dances :

Bollywood dance was born with Indian cinema and is the direct descendent of classical and popular Indian dances. Before the advent of cinema, several forms of dance had served the function of ‘telling stories’ over the centuries in India. Within India’s history, we find the practice of ‘danced mime’ in diverse forms: the Nautch dancers who performed in the palace courts; the itinerant troupes of artists that passed from village to village telling the stories of the gods. Bollywood is joyful, rhythmic and full of the grace that characterises Indian dances – it is the popular dance that gives rhythm to the lives of millions of Indians.

In these classes we work on dances from the ‘vintage’ repertoire – from the first films – as well as more modern and contemporary choreographies. We also concentrate on some of the basic foundations of the classical dances Kathak and Odissi (position of the body, mudras..), in addition to the rasas or expression of emotions. Warm ups include yoga and stretching.

About the Kalbelia of Rajasthan and the Roman Havasi dance of Turkey :

These dances are different, yet they are similar in their expression of gypsy energy and in the attitudes of the dancers. Both are intimately entwined with the percussion's rhythms (Roman dance is in 9 time and the Kalbelia in 4 time).

During these classes we will work on the basic traditional steps.  We will also develop improvisation skills and work on the performance aspects of the dance.

Maya's Website:   www.associationapsara.ch

Maya Quiminal began dancing in a contemporary dance theatre troupe, Les montreurs d'images, at the age of five in Geneva. From childhood through to adolescence, she studied ballet, modern jazz and the dances of West Africa.
In 2002 she discovered the north Indian classical dance, Kathak, and regularly travelled to study with her gurus Ranjana Srivastava of Benares Hindu University and Kavita Thakur of Kala Kendra in Delhi.

During her numerous stays in India she also studied the classic dance Odissi, the folk dances of Rajasthan and the Kalbelia dance, which is also known as the 'dance of the cobra'.

For Maya, dance is a thread that links people and cultures. She has participated in many workshops for various dances: gypsy dance, flamenco, Persian dance, Oriental dance, modern jazz, tribal and Roman Havasi of the Turkish gypsies.

Since 2007, she and Fanny Glorieux have made up the duo MayaChandini. They create and perform choreography from Indian classical and folk dances; Bollywood, gypsy and Persian dances, as well as fire-dance and ethnic-fusion dances. They perform at a range of events and places, from festivals and retirement homes through to electro parties.

Tel.: 076 615 72 07
Email: maya@associationapsara.ch