Obraz: From Russia, with rhythm

Whenever I experience something new, my mind tends to wander back to memories that feel somehow connected, like flipping through mental photo albums for a point of reference.

So, at the 80th Russian Victory Day celebration on 11 May in Le Meridien Dhaka, as the folklore group 'Obraz' took the stage for a nearly 50-minute, non-stop dance performance, my brain oddly jumped to those flashy Filmfare award nights. 

You know, the ones where Bollywood stars dance, disappear for a minute, and reappear in new outfits like magic?

But here's the thing—this wasn't that. 

There were no celebrities, no professional crews scurrying around backstage, no fancy camera cuts or perfectly timed lighting shifts. Instead, this was real, raw, and quite breathtaking. 

The Obraz ensemble was made up of just eleven kids—yep, kids barely in their teens—dancing their hearts out live in front of a ballroom packed with dignitaries, the kind of audience that doesn't hand out applause easily. And yet, those kids pulled it off with the kind of energy and commitment that made you forget all about glitz and glam.

But for someone like me—totally uninitiated in Russian folk traditions—what exactly does a 50-minute-long dance performance really offer? What are you supposed to look for, or even feel, while watching it? It's easy to get swept up in the energy, but harder to decode what lies beneath the rhythm and movement.

So, for a proper breakdown, we walked up to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation himself, the Honourable Excellency Alexander Khozin, hoping he could shed some light on what we had just witnessed.

"What unites us? It's love, harmony, patriotism and culture. Tonight, we merely tried to demonstrate that unity through this young group," said the Ambassador.

While that may be a bit too philosophical for some of us to relate to, the effort the performers put in wasn't difficult to appreciate.

The performance opened with seven girls taking the stage, dressed in flowing white outfits, moving gracefully to the soft strains of piano music. From there, the set unfolded through a series of distinct performances, each choreographed to a different musical backdrop. Every sequence was tightly synced to the beat, with the dancers moving in perfect unison.

One element that really stood out was the rhythmic tapping of the dancers' feet in certain sections—the sound purely coming from their shoes. 

The tapping didn't just keep time—it added texture, almost like a percussive undertone perfectly fused into the choreography. Even though this phrase gets thrown around alot while describing dance performances, the movements of the performers felt so pristine as if they were floating on water.

While the performance featured solo acts and duets scattered throughout, the ensemble truly shone when all eleven dancers filled the stage together. There was a certain magic in their collective energy—a sense of unity that elevated the entire experience.

"The greatest aspect is that we dance as a group," one of the young dancers shared. "Our dance demonstrates how to help each other in life, and the strength of living together is expressed through folk dances from different parts of Russia. We also tried to uphold the cultural diversity from different regions and cultures across the country."

Most of the kids in the ensemble hail from the Russian city of Kaluga, but the dances they performed that night went far beyond their hometown—or even Russia itself. Several of the routines drew inspiration from the neighbouring Caucasus regions, using rhythm to showcase a diversity of cultures.

"As an ensemble, we travel extensively within Russia, not just for international events," one of the dancers explained. "That's how we've gradually incorporated different dance styles and genres into our performances. People often compliment us on this diversity—it's something we're really proud of."

The ensemble delivered over fifteen distinct dance routines during their set, each with its own unique costume. One of the most impressive aspects of the evening was how effortlessly and swiftly the performers managed their constant outfit changes.

"It's actually one of the hardest parts of the whole performance," one dancer admitted. "The changes were really hard and challenging. There are only eleven of us, so we don't have any extra help backstage. We actually dedicated two full days back in Kaluga just to rehearse the costume changes, making sure they were smooth and quick."

The costumes worn throughout the performance were primarily traditional Russian outfits, representing various regions and dating back to the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. However, the final act stood out with a departure from tradition—the dancers wore Russian military uniforms.

"The last dance was dedicated to the Russian Army," said the Honourable Excellency Alexander Khozin. "It was a tribute to their bravery during our great victory from eight decades ago. The performers specifically chose to wear the uniforms for that reason."