We were drenched from head to toe as we reached the dance floor, but the dampening weather does not seem to have affected the dancers who were immersed in gentle movements. They appeared to be in an enchanting trance. And the trance was induced by a woman with slender figure, Cecile Berrebi de Noailles. This French danseuse is in Kochi to conduct contemporary choreographic workshops on dance which she is planning to conduct throughout Kerala. Cecile is a trained ballet dancer who teaches contemporary dance and western ballet, at the Daazzlers Studio in Kadavanthra on Saturdays and Sundays, till September. Charges are Rs1,000 for each class.As we watched her, she demonstrated flawlessly by turning her body topsy-turvy. With precise acrobatic movements, she and her team of other French dancers moved in unison and the gentle movements gave way to hilarious steps. The barefooted dancers began to move around the studio. She later explained to us that it was a dance form she had developed by merging the nuances of western pilates known for the excellence of movements and the traditional yoga steps. “I am learning yoga from the native instructors and blending it into other classical dances of Kerala and contemporary dance forms and working on an intensive dance form,” she said. She is in fact planning to perform for Kochiites soon. Indian dance has always lured this danseuse just like the Japanese dance forms like Noh, Kabuki and Taiko. Cecile has been dancing from the age of five. She was fascinated by the beauty of ballet at the tender age and joined Paris opera, the renowned school for new dance development. She has a rich career as a dancer, researcher, choreographer and organiser. Throughout her professional career Cecile met and danced for choreographers such as Carolyn Carson, Pina Bausch, Dominique Dupuy, Alexander Yterce and Alain German on the international stage. Including performances, shows and solo dances she has to her credit, 40 creations. She has worked in ‘Partnership Research Residence’ at the Museum of Montreuil for 11 years and for the cultural activities of the city of Montreuil. Being an expressionist choreographer, Cecile says dance can reach audience without restraints, if we can express them with the right intensity. She says glistening stadiums and loud music are not necessary for dance. Cecile loves Kerala. She finds that Keralites are keen on learning dance forms, dedicated and enthusiastic. Being well-versed in Indian mythology, she informed us that she knows about Ganesha and other Indian gods and bid us a pleasing farewell with ‘namasthe’.
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