One is a master of the Kathak style and the other is a master of the Flamenco style. Yet both come together in perfect tandem, fighting and competing with their respective dance forms in a ferocious clash against one another. Yes, we are talking about Akram Khan and Israel Galván, who have created TOROBAKA which brings together Kathak and Flamenco to create something altogether distinct, defying classification or genre. TOROBAKA was recently performed live at Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad as a part of the ongoing yearly festival organized by Hotel Park Hyderabad in association with the Prakriti Foundation.
For spectators it was quite a show not unlike WWF (going by the body language of the actors). The performance is a dance duet where both the men, one barefoot (Khan) while other in heeled flamenco shoes (Galván), battle out one another in a unique form of dance. It may look more like ‘kushti’ with both the men circling one another, arms whirling, foreheads pressed together, hands sometimes clamped over the other’s mouth to silence their chanting voices, if not their feet.
British-Bengali Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today who has given us highly creative, imaginative and relevant body of works including productions such Desh, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. The other artist is the multi-award-winning Seville born Israel Galván, who has been at the forefront of contemporary flamenco for over 20 years. Galván is known for his innovative choreography and exquisite dancing techniques.
TOROBAKA – a Indo-Spain Fusion takes its name from a Maori-inspired phonetic poem by Tristan Tzara. The bull (toro) and the cow (vaca) are sacred animals in the dancers’ two traditions and represent the coming together of two distinct dance styles. Both the performers create something new by understanding one another’s approach to their craft which results in a fascinating meet of the dance styles. To support the artists there are musicians who create their own gripping fusion mixture of Spanish and Indian music with some Middle Eastern Vibrations.
The show left the spectators spell bound and hungry for more with the artists’ level of skill and perfect dash of experimentation and invention. Audiences at Shilpakala Vedika were caught in trance when both the dancers merged together and gave the auditorium a feel of something much more and beyond.
Watch this amazing video on TOROBAKA preparation…
