16 Jan 2007

Happy Aching Eardrums

Posted by Lene

Tuesday January 16 (video to follow soon)

First of all wishing you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER – Hope you had a lovely day with friends and family!!!.

For us January 16 was also a very special day. Stationed in our very lovely Hotel Bombay , with the friendliest hassle free staff, we started the day with chai, orange juice and alu paratha. We also enjoyed catching up with the action of the Australian Open live from Melbourne via cable TV, but soon had to tear ourselves away, to go to the famous Kalavikas Kendra auditorium.

Cows in the Street Outside the Bombay Hotel, Cuttack

Harshid, his sister Puja, and the 2 dance teachers who are learning classical dance from Sandeep, (whose names are Srikanth and Santosh), were performing during the morning session. Oh and just to fill everyone in, the previous evening was the opening of the 7th International Children’s Theatre Festival. Sandeep had been feeling very sick all day with a cold and flu, and we had tried everything to get him well in a hurry, as he was to be a special guest on the opening night. Freya was also on stage handing out flowers and banners to the invited special guests, and Sandeep received a special award and plaque for his contribution to the festival. He was not feeling too crash hot to receive it, and was in fact expecting it on the following day.

Dance, Bharatanatyam

Anyway, Freya performed 2 dances in Bharatanathyam style, which went down very well. As usual the local TV channel was interviewing Freya and Sandeep, and so many were interested in the Aussie girl. We talked with a local Odissi dancer, and she just could not believe that Freya was from Australia, once she was in all her dance gear. I think she also did not believe that Freya could actually dance like an Indian, and was very surprised at her performance. She was really very sweet and incredibly thrilled to see Freya dressed up like an Indian.

 Odissi Dancer with Freya

Interview with the Press

So we spent the morning in the auditorium cheering on Sandeep’s students, who all did very well in their performances. I spent the whole time coughing – a horrible persistent dry cough that I have managed to pick up, and it was such a bore. We had also accidentally placed ourselves right near the speaker stacks, and for some pieces of music in particular the sound was incredibly distorted and totally earsplitting! One of the organizers really wanted to invite us for an authentic lunch, but by 2pm when all the dances were over, we had to evacuate back to the hotel with our ringing ears, to collapse for a while. Nevertheless, it was pretty interesting watching all the varied performances, especially some amazing modern dances with so much energy, or as they would aptly say here with TOO much energy. Really they have to be seen to be believed! So too the costumes!!!

Sandeep's Students

After a short respite, the make-up artist arrived at our hotel room, and again it was time to get Freya into her gear – I was kind of thankful that it would be for the last time in a while. Anyway, it all went without a hitch, and we were ready early to head for the stage. We got there in time for a wonderful group performance from the state of Gujarat, which included a maypole, where many saris would be platted by the dancers into a beautiful colourful rope by the end of the dance.

Makeup in the Bombay Hotel

In the meantime Freya was ready to perform 3 Kuchipudi dance items, and we were especially exited for her to perform the new dance she had learnt from the amazing legend Radheshyam. And it did indeed became the Piece de Resistance for her on the night. I was manning the iPod on the side of the stage and was really enjoying it, feeling much more relaxed. Freya was in her best form thus far. After the performance, Freya and Sandeep went to speak with the judges. One of them said, but that was not pure Kuchipudi?! Sandeep later told me that he was fuming inside, and informed her that Freya had learnt from the masters themselves of Kuchipudi village. It turned out she had never seen Kuchipudi dance before. Freya was called to the stage, and so too Guy and I, where she received a beautiful trophy from the Theatre Movement (which is affiliated with UNESCO, Denmark) and certificate. She was wrapped.

Harshid's family

In the meantime Sandeep had received an invitation for Freya to go directly to perform at a festival on another stage in town. So after all the officialdom was finished, we were on our way to a much more amazing event than this first one. We drove through the 1000 year old city by 3 wheeler rickshaw, and as the streets got narrower we arrived at our destination, the end of a narrow street. At the end of this street, which could probably only accommodate one normal sized car in Australia, was a narrow stage, complete with curtain and lights. In fact the whole street was lit up as this was the main day of the Pongal (or winter holiday) festival. The end of this street was full of people, which were pouring out of every nook and cranny.

Street Scene

The atmosphere was lovely, and it reminded me of villages we had visited when we toured Maharastra 18 years back. Sandeep said that this was a celebration in true village style, and it really did feel like we were in the centre of a village in the countryside. Our party was whisked into a house in the street where we were seated comfortably – amazing how many persons can sit in one small room in a house in India. I assisted Freya in a visit to the toilet, which was quite a procedure, with all that dance gear on. Then she and Sandeep went to the stage, and I got out the iPod & speakers and we were ready to roll. This stage was no more than a few metres wide and was covered in loose cotton carpets. But Freya just flew across the floor effortlessly, and during her really fast movements the strobe lights came on, turning her dance into a whole new style of production. It was such fun.

Street Party telugu Style

We happened to be in the front row right under the speakers again, and in true Indian fashion, or ears felt like they were going to burst. I am now sure that Indian people are definitely much more thick skinned even down to the ear canals! But there was so much joy and happiness in the air, that we all could not help but enjoy ourselves to the fullest. They passed us lovely chai and coffee, and could not do enough to look after us. Santosh and Shrikanth did a couple of really lively dance pieces too, which were also a big hit with the audiences. Then again Freya and her mum and dad were invited to the stage, where Freya was handed yet another trophy by the deputy mayor of Cuttuck. I was then asked to say a few words, and by complete chance really hit it off by saying that we would never forget this wonderful night here in the ancient city of Cuttuck, which was met with a roaring applause. There was a lot of love in the air. It was magical. After the performance, we were again seated in the house, and were served samoosas, sweets and lemonade. This was very much welcomed by the kids, and especially for Caspar, who is always looking forward to the next meal. We departed this magical scene, and headed back very tired, relieved, and overjoyed by this very memorable Pongal night in the old Orissan city of Cuttuck.

The tiny room at the street function, Cuttack

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19 Responses to “Happy Aching Eardrums”

  1. Thanks for the b/day greetings. Congrat’s to Freya what an amazing night and love to Sundeep for all his work too. Just love the photos especially the one of Freya and Sundeep and the trophy. Hope you get well soon Lene love to Caspar and Guy as well from Grandma.

     

    Grandma

  2. Happy moments.
    This is like watching India LIVE.
    Keep up the good work.
    Happy

     

    Happy

  3. hey frey
    have u lost a tooth? because it looks like u have in the 3rd photo tell me soon ok
    bbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyeeeeeee nnnnniiiiishhhhhaa

     

    Nisha labade

  4. by the way freya ( I AM SOOOOO JEALOUS SO (I am fuming) GET BACK HERE WITH YOUR DAD NOW)

     

    Nisha labade

  5. Hi Nisha

    Freya hasn’t lost a tooth, its just her nose ring hanging down and obscuring her tooth in the photo. She did not like that image for that reason, she said “everyone will think I have a missing tooth!”

     

    Guy

  6. Dear Freya

    I hope you are having a lovely time in India, I wish I could be there with you looking at all your lovely dances. Freya I think you are one of the best dancers I have seen. And I bet you have made lots of friends. Bye Freya, love Radha.

     

    Radha Arora

  7. Dear Freya, Auntie Lene ,Uncle Guy and Caspar,
    Sorry about my last comment! It is meant to be a joke but Mum and Dad just read and corrected me .and now I can see that it is not really funny. I don’t really want you to come back it is just that I miss you so much and I want you to know that I am very very very very very proud of you and so happy that your having such an amazing adventure!! Congrats for your trophy and I am really glad you haven’t lost a tooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    lots of love from Nisha:-):-)

     

    Nisha labade

  8. Congrats on the award Freya

     

    Shivane

  9. Just found out about this – fantastic journey love reading it

    TP

     

    Toby

  10. Hi\Hello I am having a problem seeing your posted comments on my Windows 7 machine.
    Just wanted you to know.
    Thanks

     

    Racanelli

  11. Greetings, just stopping by to show some [holiday|seasonal|Christmas|Kwanza|winter} cheer! I respectfully accept how hard it is posting all this information! Have a GREAT NEW YEAR!

    Thanks!

     

    Brackins

  12. Fantastic job. Keep posting

     

    Slominski

  13. Awesome article. Keep it up. Cheers

     

    Claybrooks

  14. Awesome post. Will visit again. 🙂

     

    Scoles

  15. Great blog!
    Will revisit

     

    Mackie

  16. Nice blog!
    Will revisit

     

    Lemley

  17. Good blog!
    Thanks

     

    Jundt

  18. A very informative article and lots of really honest and forthright comments made! This certainly got me thinking a lot about this issue so thanks a lot for posting!

     

    Schad

  19. nice 😀

     

    Salamon