Indian classical music and dance performances
Discover my productions.
The show
« Shiva Shakti »
Duration: 45 min / 1h
“Shiva Shakti” is a choreographic creation that transports you to the banks of the Ganges, to the sacred city of Benares in India, home of the God Shiva. This work is a tribute to the Benares Gharana, to which I belong as a Kathak dancer and choreographer from Fribourg. It harmoniously blends the repertoire handed down by my master, Pt Ravi Shankar Mishra, with my own creative inspiration.
According to Indian mythology, Shiva and Shakti are inseparable, representing the sublimated supreme energy. Shakti embodies the sacred feminine creative power, taking various forms such as Goddess Durga, Kali, Parvati, Janani. The masculine principle of this energy is called Shiva. The fusion of these two polarities opens the way to supreme energy, consciousness and serenity.
“Shiva Shakti” took shape in part during the first confinement in March-April 2020, thus integrating my Kathak repertoire. After being presented at the Xocolat association’s HASARD online festival in Fribourg in 2020, this show lit up the stage at the Les Impromptues festival in Fribourg, Switzerland in July 2021. Finally, this compact show, enriched by an immersive narrative, has been selected and presented during two weekends of the Biennale des Arts fribourgeois in September 2022.
Lasting around 45 minutes, the show is accompanied by a soundtrack featuring a narration introducing the various scenes and explanations, as well as musical compositions by Pt Ravi Shankar Mishra’s family, on tabla, and his cousin Prem Kishore Mishra, on harmonium and vocals. A song performed by the Hussain brothers, taken from their album “SHRADDHA”, also enriches the experience.
The show « Jugalbandi »
Duration: 45 min / 1h
Benaras, Kashi, Varanasi – all names that evoke the sacred city of the god Shiva on the banks of the Ganges in India. Even today, its mysticism inspires artists the world over. A city of devotional songs, prayers, classical dances and daily routine. The Benares Gharana, a local musical style, brings together dancers and musicians in a Hindustani repertoire renowned for its devotional purity, improvisations and vitality.
“Jugalbandi”, from the Sanskrit meaning ‘intertwined twins’, evokes the musical dialogue between artists during their performances. Our show magnifies the magic, mysticism and vigour of the Banarasi tradition through music and dance.
I’m Gauri Priscilla Brülhart, a Western kathak dancer and disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar Mishra, the world’s leading exponent of Benaras dance. At my side, Ram Kumar Mishra, from the eminent Benarasi family tradition, guided by my uncle – also my mentor – for many years to accompany the dance. For Jugalbandi, we’ll be joined by another Mishra family artist on sitar and vocals: Neeraj Mishra, son of the late Pt Amarnath Mishra of Benaras.
Our trio performs pure classical music and dance with a modern twist. With devotion, strength and joy, we explore the rhythmic and musical complexities of our musical system. Our experience, our common repertoire and the hours shared under the guidance of our Master in Benaras bind us musically, enabling us to carry forward with excellence the heritage passed on with patience and rigour by our respective Masters. It’s rare in the West to see young artists, Indians and non-Indians, combining their virtuosity in a dance performance.
The “Sacred Rhythms of Benaras” show
Duration: 1h / 1h30
I present a show that celebrates the magic and mysticism of the Banarasi tradition. As a Western dancer representative of this style, I am Gauri. I often have the privilege of being accompanied by the famous Pt Sanju Sahai, the sixth generation of tabla players from the Benares Gharana. Together, we create a traditional performance that marries kathak with percussion, blending the grace of dance with the twinkling bells and haunting improvisations of the tabla. A musician joins us on vocals and harmonium to complete the experience.
This show transports you to Benares with its subtle rhythms and spellbinding dance. You’ll be immersed in the atmosphere of this sacred city, feeling the softness of the notes and the subtlety of the rhythms, admiring the grace and speed of the dancers, and letting yourself be carried away by the captivating improvisations of the tabla. We offer a recital of traditional kathak with brief tabla solos.
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