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The three dancers from Europe may have been a little too happening for even the happening Bangalore. But they are certainly not apologetic about what they do.
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Les Belles Duval: a sensuous treat
HOTEL GRAND Ashok presented a sensuous evening to a select gathering recently. The cocktails, earlier, had prepared one for that. As people made themselves comfortable, three dancers, showing their bodies in all their glory, suddenly emerged from amidst colourful smoke. What followed was pulsating "body-talk" to the background of lilting European and Arabic music. The audience was very still — either because they were too shocked or because the barely-there clothes seemed like unnecessary details (distraction?)
Jonathan is 20. He is tall, athletic, has a sculpted frame that moves easily. He has done his Bachelor's in Performing Arts from London and he obviously loves to dance.
Jodie and Hayley are also in their twenties. You could see that they had put in enough to keep their torsos lean. And the navels, deep dots on the otherwise flawless surface. And they too have done their Bachelor's in Performing Arts.
From Europe with Love is what the trio from England — Les Belles Duval — called their performance here. The cabaret showcased work of the well-known choreographer, Simon Duval. For a whole 15 minutes, the three did everything the body could — electric, poignant, artistic, and of course, extremely sensual.
Simon Duval offered a contract to the dancers in the U.K., which entailed performances in a chain of hotels in India including Bangalore. They have performed in South East Asian and European countries earlier. Ask Jonathan about his brand of dance, and he says: "This is our livelihood. We train rigorously for these dances near Madrid where Simon Duval has his headquarters. We are very happy with the work we do."
The trio danced without any sense of inhibition and executed very fluid body movements, as the music stepped up its pace. What does it feel like to have people gazing at their bodies, making them objects of pleasure? Jonathan and Jodie observed: "We are absolutely unselfconscious about our bodies. We in the West feel free about ourselves. And when we are involved in our performance, we do not worry about what people think. After all, the body is also meant to entertain. We are not strippers."
Jonathan, Jodie, and Hayley tell you that they do not dance in nightclubs anywhere in the world. The dance performances are largely during parties and in hotels. (The trio, incidentally, will be entertaining revellers on the New Year's eve at Mandarin.)
They are certainly not apologetic about what they do. "No other profession gives you so much enjoyment. We enjoy doing this and we like to entertain."
They believe that India has changed a great deal. "The people we find are more open minded about these things than earlier. We are surprised that India is taking to these dances. This is a wonderful country, and Bangalore is a great city."
PRASHANTH G.N.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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