logo
Aruna Mohanty's ‘Indian Swan Lake' production takes Odissi to global stage

Aruna Mohanty's ‘Indian Swan Lake' production takes Odissi to global stage

BHUBANESWAR: ODISSI guru Aruna Mohanty provided an insight into 'Indian Swan Lake', a production that she presented in Germany in collaboration with L'Arte Del Mondo and European choreographer Deda Cristina Colonna.
The production that was showcased in Aschaffenburg, Leverkusen and Schloss Sanssouci in June this year, intertwined the timeless beauty of a classical ballet Swan Lake with Nala Damayanti story from the epic, Mahabharata.
At its heart lay the shared motif of the swan, a symbol of beauty, grace, and divine connection in Indian mythology as well as in Swan Lake.
Mohanty gave a pictorial presentation of the collaboration and spoke about it during an event in the city on Wednesday. The choreography brought together melodies of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the traditional Odissi music to create a harmonious fusion of musical and dance traditions of Odisha and Europe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

An AI-led 'scrollworthy' 'Mahabharata' for Indian Gen Z
An AI-led 'scrollworthy' 'Mahabharata' for Indian Gen Z

Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

An AI-led 'scrollworthy' 'Mahabharata' for Indian Gen Z

Marrying ancient stories of India with the contemporary technologies of the world, is what Vijay Subramaniam , group CEO of Collective Artists Network , aims to do with his creation ' Historyverse ' beginning with "Mahabharata" tailored for social media consumption. The adaptation is set to be India's first AI-led micro-drama comprising over 600 episodes, each lasting three to four minutes. This format is designed to resonate with the shorter attention spans typical of Gen Z and young millennials. "For me, the real kick about the Historyverse is how do you marry technology, progress, creativity and formats, that's the trifecta, I don't think AI is the winner here, the fact that you can churn out stories at scale, at speed about the history of the country, AI is the enabler," Subramaniam told PTI in an interview. He said he has designed "Mahabharata" series in a way to capture the attention of the young audience of India as the country one of the largest youth populations in the world. "We've the youngest youth population in the world so my lens is what the kids will see. So, I've to maintain the divinity and devotion of what my grandmother would like but I'm not making her watch it, I'm making the kids watch it, I'm making the rank and file of India watch it," he said. "For me, serving spirituality in a palette that young India can watch is my target without affecting the divinity and the holiness of the text," Subramaniam added. The choice of social media platforms like Instagram for releasing the series, Subramaniam said, is a conscious decision as he wants to transition traditional content into a format that can be "scroll-worthy". Subramaniam believes that there is an attention deficiency across the country so it is his goal to teach his daughter of mythological gods and goddesses in a format that she likes. "If I need to get her (his daughter) out of Captain America and Iron Man and make her watch this, it has to be in that scroll worthy format. So, you're marrying the format, which is micro, you're marrying technology and you're managing and you're marrying rich storytelling, that's the holy trinity. When these three come together I believe magic will happen," he said. According to the creator, him and his team relied solely on AI to generate everything from visuals to voice overs to music, and added that there are no CGI characters or any reliance on body mapping to create the series' characters. "This is completely generated on AI; these faces don't exist on the internet and they don't exist in real life. So, these are unique faces," he said adding that they have recently launched India's first AI travel creator, first AI rock band, among other things. However, developing AI-series comes with its challenges, the producer-creator said, adding that in narrating an epic series like "Mahabharata" it is all about evoking emotion. "Story telling is about getting the emotion right, it has to make you feel something. It's actually not that different, people over-intellectualize AI. We grew up watching the WWF, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker weren't real, or Captain Planet, Scooby Doo wasn't real, but they all evoked. Why did you follow them? You followed an emotion, you followed the character's emotion," Subramaniam said. Apart from mythological themes, he plans to expand their horizons further and explore narratives surrounding prominent figures such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and various kings throughout India's history. "We will start with mythology as a theme, then get into kings, then get into history of India, modern history of India. We're developing something for Shivaji, we're developing something for kings, for temple, it will be across the board, it won't be just one (type of show). Because I want young India to view our country from a different palette," Subramaniam added.

BLACKPINK to release new mini-album in November? YG Entertainment reacts to comeback news: ‘Will announce…'
BLACKPINK to release new mini-album in November? YG Entertainment reacts to comeback news: ‘Will announce…'

Pink Villa

time4 hours ago

  • Pink Villa

BLACKPINK to release new mini-album in November? YG Entertainment reacts to comeback news: ‘Will announce…'

New BLACKPINK music? Yes please! The quartet, known for releasing chart-topping music for the last nine years, recently dropped a comeback single track Jump, which has been on the hearts and minds of K-pop fans around the world. While fans were reeling from the hit that is JUMP, which was worked on by Diplo, there are rumors of the group releasing a mini-album soon. On August 11, a My Daily report claimed that BLACKPINK 's first album in three years since BORN PINK in September 2022, will be revealed to the fans. YG Entertainment gave a very diplomatic response, sharing that the right updates will be revealed in the coming days. BLACKPINK gears up for comeback after 3 years According to the initial report, the BLACKPINK members have already completed the jacket photoshoot for the album, and they plan to finish recording new songs and complete all the remaining work within the two months that they have left vacant in between their packed tour schedule. After ending their European leg of the DEADLINE World Tour in London with two concerts on August 15 and 16, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa will have a couple of months on their hands. The news shared by an insider quoted their plans as, "BLACKPINK will release an album within this year. Originally, they were aiming for an October release, but the schedule has changed, and they are planning to release it in November and possibly perform on music shows." In a response to Newsen, the group's management label, YG Entertainment, said, 'We will announce details through official promotions at a later date.' This more or less means confirmation from the agency's end; however, it remains to be seen how the idea pans out over the next few months. Their last record, a whopping 38 months ago, was the studio album BORN PINK, which included the title track Shut Down and managed to rip all charts to pieces to broken records.

Erik Gudbranson and Sam Gagner continue their European holiday following Leon Draisaitl's wedding
Erik Gudbranson and Sam Gagner continue their European holiday following Leon Draisaitl's wedding

Time of India

time14 hours ago

  • Time of India

Erik Gudbranson and Sam Gagner continue their European holiday following Leon Draisaitl's wedding

Erik Gudbranson and Sarah Gudbranson(Image Via IG/@guddy44) Perhaps the event that took the lion's share of summer fame was Leon Draisaitl's wedding in the idyllic French countryside; yet for Sam Gagner and Erik Gudbranson, the celebration never really stopped. After having had their fill of a grand and magnificent wedding at Domaine de Manville situated in the heart of Les-Baux-de-Provence, the two NHL superstars with their families decided to continue the enchantment of their European holiday with more outings drenched in scenic beauty, delectable food, and light socializing in the warm sun. Sam Gagner and Rachel Gagner post-wedding trip Rachel Ganner used Instagram to post highlights of their trip(Image Via IG/@ After the wedding, we saw Sam Gagner, formerly of Edmonton, and his wife Rachel trade in formal wedding wear for never-ending vacation vibes. Their travels, however, weren't to stop in France forever, as they were soon seen accompanied by Erik Gudbranson, the Columbus Blue Jackets alternate captain, and his wife Sarah, enjoying an idyllic lakeside retreat. Rachel used Instagram to post highlights of their trip, including a funny moment when she declared, 'Can't get rid of them,' in reference to the friends who had forced themselves on the trip. Erik Gudbranson and Sarah Gudbranson join the fun The getaway did not qualify as a couple's trip; rather, it felt like a family affair(Image Via IG/@ The getaway did not qualify as a couple's trip; rather, it felt like a family affair. Photos had the group gathered for a little warmth and food inside a white gazebo by the lake, children included, and others. Another picture showed a vibe of casualness while four friends sat at the open rear of a camper van, soaking in a drink or five, and laughing, whereas there were others lying inside. The laid-back settings and cheerful company suggested that this was more than a sightseeing tour-pierce of friendship shared off the ice. Summer traveling and hockey annals Before Draisaitl's wedding, the Gagners already had the whole European summer to themselves. They found their way to Ibiza, Spain, where there were certainly more crossroads of hockey stars after Rachel's surprise meeting with Lauren McDavid, wife of Connor McDavid, at the Paris International Airport. Lauren was on her way to Italy, adding to the potentialities for the hockey-world meet-ups across Europe this summer. Also Read: Connor McDavid and Lauren Kyle's stunning presence steals the show at Leon Draisaitl and Celeste Desjardins' fairytale wedding With the hills of Provence glowing with romance and sunny lakes on the other side for escapes, Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, and their respective families are making the best out of the offseason. What was originally considered just a destination wedding is now blossoming into a shared European adventure, proving that friendships do not have to be tied around a rink in the hockey world. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store