It's part of my effort to expose Indian audiences to the works of Western composers of the 19th century who were strongly influenced by Oriental, specifically, Indian themes,

It's a theme familiar to Indian audiences,

Instead of having a completely Western ballet, we have a ballet with elements of Indian dance.

The fact that it is set in a phantasmagorical island somewhere in ancient Sri Lanka throws up immense possibilities to explore this cultural hybrid, whether it's through costumes, sets or simply because of the Hindu environment that forms the spine of the story.

Even though there are so many Indian touches, this opera is very deeply rooted in French operatic traditions. For instance, in one scene I describe Shiva as being a blonde woman. That might seem ridiculous to you and me, but it's how Bizet perceived it back in the 19th century.

We've always tried to focus on productions that bind two cultures.