Hansika: An Odissi odyssey to rediscover Swan Lake

At its heart, Hansika stays true to the emotional pulse of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet, which was composed in 1875 and first produced on stage in 1877.

When the lights dim at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir on November 8, a new kind of lake will ripple into being — one where the icy moonlight of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake meets the molten grace of Odissi. Hansika, choreographed by Sharmila Mukherjee with music by Praveen D Rao, invites two classical worlds — Russian ballet and Indian classical dance — to converse in the language of longing.

Hansika: An Odissi odyssey to rediscover Swan Lake

The production, presented by the Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance, reimagines Swan Lake through the sculptural poses and expressive abhinaya of Odissi. Odette’s anguish and Odile’s guile find new articulation in the flicker of eyes and the eloquence of wrists. “Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by Western ballet — especially Swan Lake,” Mukherjee recalls. “I’d wonder what it would look like as an Odissi adaptation, with its light, sets and story reimagined in our classical idiom.” In Hansika, she realises that vision — not as imitation but as dialogue.

The production, Hansika, choreographed by Sharmila Mukherjee with music by Praveen D Rao, invites two classical worlds — Russian ballet and Indian classical dance — to converse in the language of longing.

Indian Silhouette

At its heart, Hansika stays true to the emotional pulse of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet, which was composed in 1875 and first produced on stage in 1877. “The story of Odette and Odile has such strong emotions,” Mukherjee explains. “These emotions fit perfectly within Odissi’s vocabulary of abhinaya and mudras. After all, love, jealousy, deception — are all universal.”

Her adaptation introduces striking shifts though: the evil sorcerer, Rothbart, becomes a female figure, and the grand ballroom transforms into an Indian wedding. “It opened up new ways of seeing — of exploring power and illusion through a woman’s energy. The wedding setting gave us colour and rhythm while keeping the story’s tension intact.”

Tchaikovsky Meets Tala

If Mukherjee’s choreography gives Hansika its form, Praveen D. Rao’s score lends it soul. He weaves the grandeur of Tchaikovsky’s symphony with the melodic textures of Indian classical music — where sitar and flute converse with violins, and the tabla’s rhythm punctuates the orchestral sweep.

“The moment we began working with Tchaikovsky’s themes,” says Rao, “I realised how naturally they could blend with Indian ragas and talas. Sharmila’s brief to me was that the composition shouldn’t dilute either tradition — but celebrate both.”

The swan sequence, choreographed to Tchaikovsky’s motif, became her most rewarding moment. “I use 21 dancers,” she smiles. “Seeing them glide together, using Odissi’s signature swan gaits and flowing arms, I felt I’d touched what I’d dreamt.”

The Legacy

A disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Mukherjee carries his lineage with deep fidelity. Since founding the Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance in Bengaluru (2004), she has trained hundreds of students while evolving her own creative voice. Her achievements — the Mahari Award (2016) and Karnataka Kalashree (2023–24) — honour both her rigour and her spirit of exploration.

Admitting to slight nervousness before the performance, she says, “Nervousness keeps you humble and alive. Mumbai audiences have seen so much; I only hope they see this as a genuine conversation between two art forms.”

Heart of Inclusion

Mukherjee’s art is both compassionate and aesthetic. For the Mumbai performance, she has invited children from the Angel Express Foundation, which works with marginalised communities, to watch the show. “Inclusivity is essential,” she says softly. “Many children never get the chance to see a production like this. Art should open hearts, not close them.”

Her choreography for Hansika has been designed to resonate with audiences across the spectrum. “I have tried a choreographic style so that even those unfamiliar with the grammar of ballet or Odissi will find it easy respond to its emotion,” Mukherjee says. “Love, longing, and sorrow — they are the same everywhere.”

For Mukherjee, the production is both culmination and continuation — a synthesis of her guru’s discipline and her own daring. As she prepares for her first major concert in Mumbai, she sees Hansika as “a journey of beauty, grace and transformation.”

And when the dancers of Sanjali finally take the stage, the lake will shimmer with a rare light. Ballet’s yearning will find voice in Odissi’s stillness.

A princess will remember her name, a dance form will rediscover its infinity, and audiences will experience “poetry in motion.” This celebration of universality in art is a reminder to our polarised world that the truest rhythm is the one that connects every human heart.