Rhythm Divine-II: River runs deep- An Indian contemporary dance show in Opéra Bastille

by Shrutee K/DNS 

As a part of the ongoing Namasté France festival, Embassy of India, Paris presented an evening of contemporary Indian dance by internationally renowned Indian dance icon, Padma Shri Astad Deboo at the prestigious Opéra Bastille in Paris on 03 October 2016.

The dance created by Astad Deboo along with Guru Seityaban Singh combined the drumming traditions with Astad Deboo dance technique.The one and a half hour performance of PungCholom drummers of Shree ShreeGovindajee Nat Sankirtan and Astad Deboo hypnotised the Parisians.The dance started on a slow note and its tempo reached crescendo with the rhythmic movements of drummers.  The impressive visual effects and the physical movements of dancers captivated the audience. Deboo’s style of blending several forms of dance with the theatre presented modern traditions of Indian dance. ‘Rhythm Divine-II: River runs deep’ contemporary dance choreographed by Astad Deboo was presented for the first time in Europe. And also it was the first time that an Indian contemporary dance troupe had been invited to represent India in the cultural festivals abroad.

Earlier the Namasté France cultural extravaganza was inaugurated in Paris by His Excellency Dr. Mohan Kumar, Ambassador of India to France. During this two and a half month long festival, more than 70 events will be held in several cities of France including Strasbourg, Nice, Lyon, Lille, Marseilles, Tourcoing, Nantes, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence etc. Namasté France festival is an excellent platform for the people of France to view and understand India’s historically rich cultural traditions. These events will represent the underlying unity of India in terms of philosophical, spiritual and linguistic heritage. This spectacular festival will close with the performance of violin maestro L. Subramanyam and legendary Kuchipudi dancer coupe Raja and Radha Reddy in Philharmonie in Paris on 30 November 2016.