Gaddi goes global

Vibhor Mohan meets Shunyam Vidhi Bogdanovskaia, who experiments with fusion of Himachali and Egyptian dance forms

Dancer-choreographer Shunyam Vidhi Bogdanovskaia realised that a common string seems to run through Italian dance and gaddi. She showcased this fusion with an Egyptian dance rag-sharki in different countries. Little wonder, she’s now back for more.

"Like in the case of Egyptian traditional dances, the moment a gaddi dancer gets into the wheeling step, she instantly slips into a trance, as if in meditation," explains Vidhi, who is in Dharamsala as part of her research on the local dances of the Himalyan regions.

It was purely incidental that a gaddi dance performance was being staged in McLeodganj during her last visit to meet the Dalai Lama. She was so mesmerised by the whole sequence that the organisers allowed her to be a part of it. She stopped only the next morning, she recalls.

The same steps from the gaddi dance cast a spell on the audience when they were recently presented in Persia with Sufi dancers. The style was highly appreciated in the performances in Turkey, Morocco, Russia and Europe, according to Vidhi.

Along with her Art Director, Gaspare Dagar Barone of the ‘Compagnia Music and Dance Design,’ the company she works for in Italy, Vidhi also visited other states and spent days on end studying and rehearsing various Indian dance forms like Odissi and Bharatnatyam during her current visit.

"We trained students of choreographer Shiamak Dawar for some time and also got some offers from Bollywood but it was not possible to have such an extended stay in Mumbai," says Barone.

"Each of the traditional dance forms has something unique to offer. For instance, the symbols with fingers and eyes in Bharatnatyam. The Rajasthani dances seem inspired by the potter’s wheel. Interestingly, there appears a subtle connection between the gaddi and Egyptian dance forms," he adds.

We are also in the process of doing detailed research on the outfits and the backgrounds used in the gaddi dance. "The idea is that when we present gaddi abroad, we should be able to paint the backdrop of hills and pine trees to give the audience a feel of the place," Barone says.

"To make our presentations look more real," says Vidhi, "we plan to spend several days with the professional dancers in Chamba and Kinnaur to refine my movements and add a touch of innovation by mixing it up with other dances of the world."

"I’m so fascinated by the gaddi dance that sometimes I feel that I was a gaddi dancer living in Himachal in my previous life. There are times when I get visions of myself doing the amazing wheeling movement while in sleep," she says. Born in Ukraine, Vidhi has a degree in Russian classical dancing and presently based with her troupe in Italy.

"We are open to collaborations with the Indian troupes and are presently doing a project in association with a group from Kulu. We would also perform at the birthday celebrations of the Dalai Lama next year," she says.

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