Spinning Drummers of Serendip
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February 17, 2010
State Theatre, Melbourne
With more hip shaking, toe tapping numbers than you can poke a poppadom at, Merchants of Bollywood has all the glamour and romance of a Bollywood musical.
Based on the real-life story of choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, it traces the development of the Bollywood film industry through gaudy dance routines and simple dramatic passages. Merchant is a Bollywood dance guru, combining classical grace with modern energy in true Bollywood style. Some of her most famous routines are lifted straight from the films for which they were created and included in the show. (See one of the better ones here: a Youtube clip of Kajra Re)
It’s daggy, but mostly fun, with extra spice added by an occasional pelvic thrust from the outrageously handsome and bare-chested Deepak Rawat. As the young choreographer, Carol Furtado performs speaking and dancing roles with elegance and charisma.
Although some of the movie-style sequences are a little overstretched and repetitive, the hip hop flavoured, ultra-modern routines really raise the roof while intricate and fast-paced classical dances set the heart alight.
Rajastani folk dances, including spinning drummers, invoke a village atmosphere and give a touch of authenticity to this unashamedly glitzy show. Barrel leaps and back flips in vividly coloured and richly adorned outfits provide relief from the relentlessly pounding Bollywood rhythms.
The large cast shimmy their way through innumerable costume changes with plenty of enthusiasm, and thankfully the show doesn’t take itself too seriously. If there were more space in the aisles, the audience would surely be up and dancing, singing along with one of the catchy encores.
Review by Chloe Smethurst
First published in The Age newspaper
I know it's last minute, but I've done it!
I just submitted my response to the Discussion Paper on the future of the VCA. I've pasted it below, if you're interested in my thoughts. But more importantly, be sure to send the Review Committee your own thoughts.
Visit savevca.org for a template that you can use, or write your own. If you're passionate about Melbourne's vibrant dance scene, make an effort to save the VCA. Just make sure that you send it in by February 12. (Yes! today!)
Dear Review Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to have input into the future of the Victorian College of the Arts. I write to you as a graduate of the VCA Dance school and the Arts Management course which was run jointly through the VCA and University of Melbourne. I have also attended many performances of the VCA Dance school in my capacity as dance critic for The Age newspaper.
Studying at the VCA had a profound effect on me. As a dance student, being immersed in the ‘Melbourne Scene’ was possibly the best contemporary dance training one could hope for without leaving Australia. Having close contact with active performing artists and choreographers, who were engaged as sessional teachers and who created new and exciting dance works for us to perform, was an invaluable experience.
When I attended last year’s VCA Dance graduation performance, it was clear that the students continue to enjoy this close relationship with prominent Australian contemporary dance artists. It only makes sense, for this city, which is a hub of contemporary dance, to also be home to a leading training institution.
• It benefits the students, who complete their training in close proximity to practicing artists and have access to regular live performances
• It benefits the artists, who find paid work within the institution to supplement their own practice
• It benefits the choreographers and employers of contemporary dancers, such as Chunky Move and Balletlab, who often absorb VCA graduates directly into paid work.
In reading the discussion paper, it seems to me that in relation to Curriculum Options, either Option 1 or Option 3 are the only options which could provide appropriate outcomes for students if the VCA hopes to maintain the high quality of its dance school. Option 2, demoting the current Dance Degree to a generalist degree with the option of dance as a major, would devalue the course to the point where it would no longer be a viable choice for those hoping to find work as a professional dancer.
The possible demise of the specialist dance degree at VCA is a real threat to the ecology of contemporary dance in Melbourne. Without this artistic incubator where choreographers find employment while future artists are trained, the current climate of constant creation could easily stagnate, strangling the vibrant organism that is Melbourne dance.
If maintaining the dance school in its current state requires seeking additional funding, directly from the federal government or from other sources, then I would urge the Review Committee to make such a recommendation.
Yours sincerely,
Chloe Smethurst
