When Ukrainian dancer and choreographer Ganna Smirnova dons the Bharatanatyam costume of richly embroidered needlework on shimmering red silk and dresses her hair with a semi-circle of white flowers, she looks remarkably Indian. The delicately framed Smirnova embraced Bharatanatyam for life when she saw a performance by Jayalakshmi Eshwar in Moscow over 20 years ago. Over time, she says, her gestures and expressions have been influenced by her love of the classical Indian dance form, so it is no wonder that she looks perfectly at ease in a casual salwar kameez before getting ready for a performance at the Russian Cultural Centre in Delhi.

“Delhi has changed since my days as a student here,” says Smirnova, referring to the dance scholarship she received from the ICCR to study Bharatanatyam between 1997 to 2003 at Triveni Kala Sangam. Originally trained in ballet and the popular folk dances of Ukraine, Smirnova says she was attracted to Bharatanatyam because of its blend of poise, discipline and sculpture-like poses. “In many ways, it requires the same level of discipline as ballet. You need to be physically strong to execute tandavas. But in ballet, there’s little expression while Bharatanatyam is full of emotion,” explains Smirnova.

Smirnova’s fascination for Bharatanatyam has contributed in popularising the Indian dance in Ukraine. She started a programme, Nakshatra, in Kiev’s T G Shevchenko National University that conducts lessons in Indian classical dances and yoga, and provides assistance for Ukrainian students who want to study the dance forms of India. “The interest is growing. We’ve sent four students on a scholarship to India recently. I teach over 30 students regularly, in Kiev,” says Smirnova. “When I was a child and we were part of the USSR, ballet was the norm. Parents now want to expose kids to other art forms.”

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