An accomplished performer, dancer and choreographer, Babushka Ferenczi started her professional life in her native France as an English teacher while simultaneously coaching French military personnel hone their English skills before they embarked on overseas missions.
While teaching was her childhood dream and she had accomplished it, she also liked dancing and even took dance classes.
“I didn't really know much about Indian culture. But in my curriculum as a dancer while I was in France, I was trained by an Egyptian lady in belly-dancing, and classical aspects of the genre and its technical side,” she says.
Ms Ferenczi was not exposed to Bollywood until after she migrated to Australia. Her transition from a teacher to performer also blossomed after she settled down in Australia.
Babushka Ferenczi fell in love with Bollywood dance at an Indian wedding in Melbourne. Source: Babushka Ferenczi
“In language teaching, you teach people how to express themselves, how to write and how to speak etc. And in dance, you are still expressing yourself, instead of using your voice you are using visual effects, facial expressions and dance moves.”
A 'serendipitous' introduction to Bollywood dance
She says she was drawn to Bollywood dance as it is a very compelling style that blends storytelling and performance harmoniously.
“I like Indian dance styles because they are always storytelling. There is always a background story… You can really tell. Even if you don’t understand the language of the song, you can tell what is happening you can visualise who are the different characters in the scene and what the scene is about.”
But she had not planned to learn it until her "serendipitous" introduction to it at an Indian wedding in Melbourne packed with 900 guests, where she was performing belly dance.
Source: Babushka Ferenczi
“I was just blown away by the experience, the colours, obviously the ladies; they were wearing colours, the uproar, and the different rituals," she tells SBS French.
"All the events I’d been performing at whether it be stage shows or functions, people really see you as a professional - you come in to do a job then you leave."
However, the hosts at this wedding insisted that she participate in the celebrations, and she was invited to perform the rituals and share the food.
“That was a totally different experience from other jobs I’d had in the past. I also loved seeing all generations on the dancefloor. Everybody just loving to move on the music together, singing the lyrics together.
"It is something I hadn’t witnessed in western cultures, having all generations from very young children to teenagers; singing and dancing together like that.”
That's when the spark to embrace Bollywood, and Indian culture was lit.
Since that wedding, Ms Ferenczi has created her own Bollywood dance group in Melbourne - Jalwa Dance Company.
“It was really important for me for the company’s name to be a Hindi word. Jalwa means charisma. I wanted something really positive, and I think this really represents what I think of dance in general, it is about beauty, it is about technicality, and it is about expression.”
Ms Ferenczi and her dance group perform across Australia, including shows headlined by Bollywood stars touring Australia and their productions.
“I have been lucky to be part of this, and then Bollywood or Punjabi celebrities who perform here have taken us and my dance troupe on tour around Melbourne or Sydney to perform with them. We’ve been really lucky on that side.”
Jalwa enjoys wide acceptance and admiration within the Indian community, something that doesn't surprise Babushka Ferenczi.
“It is normal for Indian people to be interested in Indian culture, but they find it extraordinary that someone who is not from their culture is so much into their culture.”
