Words by Maxine Flasher-Duzgunes.
Director Gopal Bala’s film The Black Swan’s Renaissance immerses us in the tempered reverie of Odette (the White Swan) and Odile (the Black Swan), as they battle for freedom and challenge our beliefs of good and evil in their masterfully identical yet distinct roles. Produced by Saffron Creative House, an online hub for diasporic art, highlighting authenticity, reimagination, art, and fun, the film follows suit in its playful reinvention of the tale from classical ballet.
The film begins with Bharatanatyam dancer Pavitra Kumra dancing the role of Odette, awakened by the transcendent clarinet of Tchaikovsky’s Opus 20, her face glistening from the overhead light like that of the moon over a lake. In a robe of vivid orange and white, with golden adornments at her neck and ears, Pavitra’s delicate motions follow a path of grace and inner beauty. But she is soon joined by an ominous presence at her back, one who mirrors her movements like an inflated shadow. This shadow-like Odissi dancer, Adya Das, plays the role of Odile, wearing mostly blue robes with hints of orange and neon green streaks on her sleeves. Her costume is darker but bolder, and her hair is braided to her waist compared to Odette’s elegant bun. She carries a smirk on her face in her entrance, as if to disrupt Odette’s blissful dance upon the lake.
In the original story of Swan Lake, Odile is made to resemble Odette at a grand ball, in order to trick Prince Siegfried into marrying her and to ruin the fate of Odette, who must live her life as a swan unless the Prince falls in love with her, breaking the spell. And so the return of Odile in this film marks the desire for an unexpected change in the story, and perhaps the possibility for good and evil to live harmoniously, despite the upwelling temperament of Odette as she learns how to dance in the face of this newfound darkness.
As their duet progresses, Odile finds opportunities to both copy Odette and also to make the choreography her own, frequently grabbing at the space in front of Odette as if to take what’s rightfully hers. She samples Odette’s elaborate gestures but then infuses them with a triumphant ferocity, adding air time and dimension to movements that once lived only in a precious, internal space. Odette finally retreats to the back of the room and grounds herself low as Odile flies and follies in her victory.
It’s questionable whether these swans fight for the heart of the Prince or for their own liberty of love as there is no trace of his presence in this retelling, but it’s refreshing to witness the swans independent of the narrative and to feel part of the story’s reimagining as merely a viewer. Approaching the film’s final moments, Odile cowers over the resigned Odette and grazes her chin with a finger: a grave invitation to see the world through her eyes…and to dance in it too.
To watch the film, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBTk5V_tw9A. Image by Lucas Fowler.