Leeda Samson, master of the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, mesmerized students at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing during a recent performance there.
The 400-seat music hall of the conservatory was filled with students, many of whom were sitting on the ground or standing on the windowsills.
Samson, the renowned educator, dancer and choreographer, was here this week on an exchange program with the Conservatory. This month, she and her dance troupe Spanda are to visit and perform in theatres and academies in Shanghai and Hangzhou of East China's Zhejiang Province.
The Bharatanatyam Samson performs can be traced to the second century. Accompanied by classical Indian music, it was performed in Hindu sacrificial ceremonies to show respect to the god Siva.
Dancers of the Bharatanat-yam are usually gorgeously dressed women with colourful flowers on their heads, shining ornaments on their noses and rings on their ears. They wave their hands and arms freely around the body and balance themselves at the waist and knee. "I told the students to pay special attention to my facial expression, which is of vital importance in the dance," said Samson.
Samson said the dance, which depicts the dialogue between the souls of human beings (represented by the women dancers) and the soul of the god, shows at its core "the search of each of us," Samson said. "Women wanted to become united with the beloved, and people wanted to be united with the god," she said.
Samson and her troupe have had great success in the development of classical dance, said Chen Ziming, a professor at the Conservatory. Their dances, with contemporary elements, are popular in India.
"There is a well-developed system in India to preserve and develop the traditional arts. The artists of China and India are now working on co-operation in this field," said Chen.
(China Daily October 21, 2002)
