Five minutes before the scheduled interview at the Russian Cultural Centre, the dancers disembark from a bus. Their lean, muscled bodies and the way they move are a revelation of their history — long hours at the barre, longer hours practising, and a lifetime in pursuit of perfection.
They hurry off to change into a gamut of costumes, representative of the dances Orchid has been performing across India. I’m here to interview the ballet dancers from Rostov-on-Don, a Russian city in the south on the banks of the quietly flowing Don, and since neither of us speaks the other’s language, what form this conversation will take is entirely in the lap of the gods.
But, first the photoshoot... Eleven-year-old Anna Lugovenko, in a blood-red tutu, stands en pointe on the lawn, surrounded by two dancers in white — fairies in a summer garden. The rest follow, in layered gypsy skirts, satin sharovary, a loose Cossack pant gathered at the waist, and broad smiles. It’s a wrap, in minutes. And, the dancers retreat to rehearse high-powered lifts and pirouettes that demand a dedication akin to that of a championship-level sport.
Fifty-five-year-old Elena Pliukhina, lead choreographer of Orchid, walks with the grace of a gazelle. We sit across the table and smile, waiting for the interpreter to translate my opening question. Before that, she pats her peroxide blonde hair, smoothes her long dress and warmly says, “I love India.”
Pliukhina founded Orchid, a school that primarily teaches ballet and contemporary dance, in her home city, in 1999. “I love the colours of the orchid. Such a variety of forms,” she answers in defence of the name. With more than a 100 students now, Pliukhina has been visiting India for the last nine years, bringing students along to give the country not only a glimpse of culture from across the Pamir, but also the exacting standards of the art form she teaches.
This year, the school showcased the repertoire of 12 artistes to commemorate the 70th anniversary of India’s Independence and diplomatic relations between India and Russia, (organised by Indo-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Russian Centre of Science and Culture and Indo-Russian Travel Club) and the 100th birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran (organised by the Government of Tamil Nadu), to packed halls in Hyderabad, Cuddalore and Chennai. Dancers between the ages of 13 and 27 performed a range of classical, folk and gypsy, keeping to musicality and rule, but also with the measured intensity and haunting rhythms of dances that are fast fading in a monochrome world.
Pliukhina, who first learnt dance and choreography in 1983 at a state-run conservatory, says, “It takes years of practice and auditions to make it to a tour. Children as young as four join classes, and even as they progress through high school and college, continue to participate and perform.” Often, any classical dance’s fissure comes at a point when the dancers are maturing as performers, but also when their bodies are on a decline. How does Pliukhina teach an art form that so blatantly favours the young, to older students? “Contemporary art forms are where they can find their feet,” she says. “Folk, gypsy and jazz lend a wider spectrum of expression, something older students can choose to explore.”
Pliukhina’s intense choreography also demands that students follow a strict diet regimen. “No sugar, no starch, medium-sized servings of meat, plenty of fish and endless cups of green tea is what I recommend that dancers have. But, with so many cuisine choices now, it’s hard. I let the little ones indulge in a little cola once in a while,” laughs Pliukhina, whose younger son is also a dancer. She counts among her firmest support, her husband Vitaly.
Pliukhina says time has allowed her to appreciate Indian food. “On my initial visits, I found food spicy. But, I’ve grown to love paneer masala and fruits such as banana, papaya, pineapple and mango. With many Indian students pursuing medical studies in Rostov, Indian food is aplenty. The conservatory from where Orchid functions hosts a small festival of India and Russia, every year,” she says.
This India visit has been full of adventure — the dancers have surfed in the Bay of Bengal, rolled down the green slopes of Sim’s Park, swum at Black Thunder, climbed Golconda Fort and explored the Brihadeeswara temple. “What’s left?”, I ask. “Shopping for ornaments,” laughs Pliukhina.