Kathak-salsa - a happy fusion

New Delhi: What happens when a kathak maestro meets Latino dancers? A medley of footwork, frenetic hip movement, spins and hand gestures, making for loads of "happiness" on stage.Leading kathak exponent Uma Sharma teamed up with two Brazilian Latino dancers -- Fernanda Dias and Serginho -- in the capital for a kathak-salsa performance as part of the pre-World Dance Festival.

"India and Brazil have two very different cultures, but the meeting point is happiness," Serginho told IANS. As Sharma joined the high-voltage salsa and forro dancers -- the latter a northeast Brazilian dance form -- on stage to match steps and movements, she said: "Hum kisi se kum nahin (we are no less than anyone). I will improvise my kathak to blend with salsa on stage." "The footwork, spins and energy are common between kathak and salsa and other Latino dances. However, Latino dances have more hip movements and gyrations of the belly and waist unlike kathak -- which relies on facial expression or `natya` and hand movements. The body keeps still," Sharma told IANS at the Brazilian embassy, which was converted into a makeshift dance hall Tuesday for the fusion performance. "Our mastery over our facial expressions and our footwork is intricate. But since kathak is of Mughal origin, hip movements are frowned upon. But we have the same rhythm. "In fact, the flamenco dance of Spain is very similar to kathak -- I have collaborated with several flamenco dancers. This time, I plan to fuse kathak with salsa and other Latin dances since both the genres pick up speed and tempo after a point of time. Both Indian and Brazilian dances require rigorous practice," Sharma said. Serginho said Brazilian and Latino dances in contrast need -- "a happy and free spirit, control over breath and training". "Indian dances have strong energy, but the movements are different. Latino dances are influenced by African and Caribbean rhythms. Our dances are more sensual, daring and hot," Serginho said. The dancer, who is self-taught, is one of the most sought-after male dancers in Brazil. "In Brazil, dancing is like football. Everyone does it, but only those who are talented make it big on television, festivals and on professional stage. It`s a fight for survival," he said. The duo hopes to learn the basics of Indian dances while in the country to improvise on their repertoire. The three-day World Dance Festival-cum-workshops -- featuring 100 Latino, Indian and European dancers and 17 international dance instructors -- will be held Sep 10-13 at Hotel Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon. The festival is being sponsored by the embassies of Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Ecuador, along with Surya Brasil, a Brazilian cosmetics giant. IANS