CHENNAI: While dancing with fire, you would certainly not twirl around with a skirt on let alone dance with it. But a Tanoura dancer and a fire dancing duo from Ukraine beg to differ while they get together for a pre-Diwali treat this weekend.
Hailing from a family of artists, 22-year-old Tanoura dancer Mohamed Ammu Haffez loves his work. Twirling with the multi-layered skirt adorned with twinkling lights, he looks forward to another performance with the fire dancers Kseniia Akhetova and Valeriya Shcher Batykh in the city. Excited about their performance, the dancers tell us that the two forms – fire dancing and Tanoura – have very little in common but they make a beautiful thriller. “Life is an adventure and that is why I wanted to perform acts which are not only entertaining but challenging as well,” says Valeriya.
They don’t use LED but real fire on metal rings and flowers, standing alongside a dancer in a skirt. Tanoura is a form of folkloric dance common in Middle East. It’s indeed one of the highlights of Dubai desert safari as well. It’s a dance form where anything can go wrong; so a lot of precautions are taken. “We need to take care of ourselves as well as the people around us. Fire extinguishers are always carried. The entire act is difficult and dangerous.”
Performing across Asia, they agree that India is one of their favourite destinations. How much did they know about Diwali before coming here? “We hear that people light candles and pray to god. They also make sweets and distribute among their family and friends. This year, we’ll also be celebrating Diwali with our friends wearing the traditional Indian wear,” they smile and promise to learn about the history behind the festival of lights too. Their next stop is Mumbai and through their tours, they are also working on a new act with LED.
With each sequence lasting over five minutes, catch the Tanoura and Fire Dance at Phoenix MarketCity
on October 22 and 23 from 9-11.30 pm