Russian dancers recently performed at Ilaiyaraaja‘s studio in Chennai, showcasing beautiful routines to his famous songs “O Butterfly” from Meera and “Poove Sempoove” from Sollathudikuthu Manasu.
Ilaiyaraaja praised the dancers on social media, thanking them for their graceful and emotional performance, which he described as flawless and captivating. His post went viral.
The event was organized by P. Thangappan, General Secretary of the Indo-Russian Cultural Centre. The Russian dance group is currently touring Tamil Nadu from January 17th to February 3rd.
Following Thangappan’s suggestion, the group chose these two songs, which fit well with Western dance styles. Troupe leader Kalina arranged the performance at Ilaiyaraaja’s studio, impressed by the music.
Kalina said, “We are drawn to the unique beauty of Ilaiyaraaja’s music. His compositions are deeply spiritual, and these songs are full of joy and imagination. As artists, we felt ecstatic performing to such beautiful creations.” Alexander Tetovanov, head of the Russian Center in Chennai, also praised Tamil music, calling it “richly melodic”.
This cultural exchange highlighted the global appeal of Ilaiyaraaja’s music, showing how it can cross language and cultural barriers.
My sincere many thanks to all these wonderful dancers from Russia to have come all the way to my studio for a very special performance which was full of grace, mesmerising, very expressive, heart-touching, alluring and flawless… pic.twitter.com/W8Bt42hpOE
— Ilaiyaraaja (@ilaiyaraaja) February 2, 2025
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