I have no future in French cinema

French danseuse Helene Savoie tells The Guide why Bollywood latka-jhatkas suit her better than the morose cinema back home

Twenty-six year-old Helene Savoie discovered and soon fell in love with Indian classical dance on a trip to Kolkata two years ago. Her association with India and its dance forms has only grown ever since. She has gone onto master Bollywood moves along with Hindi words like 'theek hai' and 'achha', which she uses frequently in her conversations. She spoke to us about her fusion ballet performance, being held today.



How did you gain interest in Bollywood dance?
In Paris, not many people know about Bollywood or its style of dance. Back home, the movies are very realistic, psychological and dark, which I don't find as fascinating as Bollywood. I wouldn't want to be an actress in those films and hence, have no future in French cinema. My initiation into Bollywood dance happened as I started performing semi-classical dance for the Indian community during festivals and functions. I like Bollywood dancing, as it is a perfect mixture of Western and classical dance moves. I startedu00a0 off by choreographing my own pieces on songs by AR Rahman.

What do you like about it?
Dancing in front of the camera is very different from performing live. Performing on stage is about stamina, concentration and being able to cultivate your audience. But in a movie, the dance is based on a story. That mix of drama and dance attracts me to Bollywood.

What made you undertake training in Kathak?
After my training session in Odissi with Dipanwita Roy, I met senior French ballerina Shakuntala who had learnt Bharatnatyam in Chennai. She asked me to focus on Kathak instead of any other dance form and said that since I had studied drama for five years, I should try and do something different and not stick to the themes of Radha and Krishna.

What can audiences expect at your performance this evening?
The piece that I am going to perform this evening is my own composition. It is a mix of the fluid movements of ballet and the expressions of classical dance, with little movement. I bring my own twist to Indian classical dance forms like Kathak and Bharatnatyam it is a fusion ballet.

You speak a lot in Hindi while talking to people. How did you pick up these words?
When I go out to the market to buy something, the vendors don't speak English and I don't like talking to them in English because I don't want them to think that I am different from them. Even if I use just a few words from their language, I feel I am communicating better.