SR Dance Company (COURTESY OF SR DANCE CO.)

What prompted you to come to China?

We were invited by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to participate in the "African Cultures in Focus" festival. On May 20, we performed at the China Millennium Museum a short presentation of our national dance, the sega. Then we performed at Beijing University of Chemical Technology on May 21, a [45-minute-long] show called Dream of Today. We finally performed at the PLA Theater on May 25, the same show, but this time with the participation of the China Railways Ensemble.

How was it working with the China Railways Ensemble? 

Doing the show with the China Railways Ensemble was really a great moment for us. Their dance is different from what we do, yet we complemented each other during the show. Their choreographer is someone who obviously has a long experience in the field and they are all very professional.

After the show, they came to meet us and offered us a drum which had been in their school for over 30 years! They also offered us a statue of a Chinese general. We were very touched by these gifts. We seized this moment to offer them in return a ravanne,  the traditional percussion [instrument used in] sega, our national dance. [Hopefully] in the future we can work with them again, whether in China or in Mauritius maybe!

 What do you want to convey to Chinese audiences through Dream of Today?

The show is a mix of all the different cultures we have in Mauritius (Indian, African, Chinese, Arabian and European). Mauritius has, since a long time, [lost] its youth to Europe or other countries in search of a better future. These young coming from different ethnic backgrounds find themselves in another world where people from different ethnicities live together. They then realize that among Mauritians of different cultures, they are in fact a one and unique nation, able to live together. Back home, they start fighting against restrictions and begin to construct a better Mauritius, where all the languages, cultures, cuisines and traditions mix to form our rainbow nation.

How would you describe your company's dance style?

The style is contemporary and Indian: Kathak [North] and Bharat Natyum [South]. [It's] a new personal style of ethnic modern dance – a mixture of contemporary dance in Indian tonalities. [It's about] fluidity, tonic effect, energy, depth [of] movements, work on the ground and in the space.

In 2009, your dance Naissance nu kiltir won the Gold Medal in the Creative Dance discipline at the Jeux de la Francophonie held in Beirut, Lebanon. What message did you want to convey and where does your inspiration come from? What made it a success and how was the reception there?

Naissance nu kiltir means "the birth of our culture." [Mauritius] was constructed little by little by different cultures, which met on our island by [various] circumstances. [In] these dances, we relive the troubles and joys of these brothers who did not know each other – or almost – and who, [over] life, have learned to know each other, to live side by side, sometimes sulfurous, sometimes harmonious.

We worked a lot for the competition. The reception was very friendly and enthusiastic. It was great to be there with so many dancers [sharing] our experience!

What makes a great choreographer and a great dancer?

A great choreographer is one who can make the audience feel emotion. A great dancer is one who can transmit these emotions to the audience.

China-Africa cooperation has been strengthening over the last few decades and African music and dance are gaining popularity in China. What do you think is behind this development?

 African music itself has [experienced] a great change over the last decade, being exported [abroad]. Chinese people tend nowadays to open themselves toward listening to other music, and African music and dance have caught their interest. With the Internet, people are learning [about] each other more easily. So it's quite natural that China-Africa cooperation is being strengthened.

What's next for the company?

We might come to perform at the Shanghai Expo!