ABOUT LE CARNAVAL SPIRITUEL
Summer 2009/10 Australian Tour
Following on from the success of their 2007 and 2008 concert tours, Le Carnaval returns to Australia this summer to entertain us with their colourful “joie de vivre” performances. With spectacular flair they bring the stage to life with a rich tapestry of music, dance, tribal drum acts, yoga, martial arts and surreal theatre evoking the timeless wisdom of India's ancient spiritual culture.
Street performances will precede each of the stage shows, so the whole community will get the chance to glimpse a vibrant world – a world that has enriched and deepened the lives of millions of people for more than 50 centuries.
Established in 1979 in France, the troupe has toured extensively throughout the world enthralling audiences with their "out of this world" production.
If you are on Facebook and plan to attend the events in Victoria, you can register here.
“Le Carnaval” Performance elements
Celestial Dance Performances: 
"Bharat Natyam" is an ancient form of divine dance from South India, performed thousands of years ago in the seclusion of the temple’s inner chambers, not for the "public eye". Le Carnaval performs the divine dance in it’s traditional style and later in a stunning contemporary East meets West fusion dance.
"Katak," a dance native to North India, is divinely graceful. An enchanting spectacle - each movement imbued with deep spiritual significance designed to elevate our consciousness and put us in touch with our "inner self." The classically trained ballerinas from Moscow’s Rasika Dance Company add a very special magical touch.
"The Shyam Dance", a Rajasthani village folk dance performed by the “Le Carnavale” Dance Troupe is a dazzling and colourful representation of the soul's search for spiritual fulfillment.
The Tribal Drummers of Manipur
"The Manipur drummers" The unique dancing Manipur drummers is one of the highlights of the evenings entertainment. Renowned for their exotic, athletic dancing, this troupe captures the stage as they perform acrobatic feats and martial arts movements while flying through the air playing on their drums. ![]()
Code of the Ancient Warriors
"The dance of the warrior" Choreographed and put to music, this performance is mesmerising with its ballet of slight of hand and speed of sword.The audience is once again taken back through centuries, to a time when warriors developed martial arts to protect lands from maraudinginvaders. Though lethal, these martial arts were amazingly artistic and graceful in their style.
Yoga Spectacular
The enthralling "Yoga Spectacular" transports us to a subliminal space with its beautiful stylised yogic movements set to a celestial musical score.
The Bhagavad-Gita Play
A surreal, contemporary rendition of this great classic of Indian literature performed by the “Le Carnaval Players”. Highly stylized, the philosophical essence of the Gita is presented for us to ponder.
Kirtan - Pure Musical Magic
This ancient meditative genre of singing was virtually unknown in the West until the 1960s. Since then it has been growing in popularity and enjoying ever greater interest and recognition. Kirtan can range from the quietly meditative to the joyful and energising. Its distinctive feature is immersive audience participation: everyone feels part of the performance.
Three of the world's most popular Kirtan performers will be taking part in the show. Indradyumna Swami, an enigmatic traveling monk who founded Le Carnaval Spirituel in Paris France in 1979, has been performing kirtan before around the world for over three decades, often to Woodstock-like crowds and has performed for many world leaders like Nelson Mandela. New Zealand-born Sri Prahlad catapulted to fame as a child prodigy in the late 1980s when his debut album "Through the Eyes of a Child" topped the Australian and world music charts. Since then his evolving distinctive style of Kirtan has brought him the love of audiences worldwide. Tribhuvaneshvar, affectionately known as Tribi, has enchanted music connoisseurs with his soft, melodious European style Kirtan. His newly released CD “Kirtan Meditations - The Mantra Chill Sessions” will be available for purchase at the concert.
Le Carnaval Spirituel Program
- 7:15pm - Pre-show welcoming musical meditations by the “Le Carnaval” Ensemble
- 7:30pm - "Drums of Hope"
Performed by the Manipur drummers (India) - 7:40pm - "Dance of Gratitude"
Bharat Natyam Classical Indian dance performed by Moscow’s Rasika Dance Company - 7:45pm - "Yoga Moves"
A stylised musical yoga presentation by master yogis Vraja Sakhi and Lal Krishna, identical twins from the Ukraine - 7:55pm - "Dance of the Warrior"
An artistic display of traditional eastern martial arts by Dina Dayal from Estonia - 8:00pm - "The Bhagavad-Gita"
A contemporary stylized drama of the great Indian classic performed by the “Le Carnaval Players” - 8:20pm - "Jungle Drum Beats"
Performed by the Manipur drummers - 8:30pm - "Kantipuri Dance"
An expressive fusion of Indian dance by the Rasika Dance Group - 8:35pm - "The Sword Fighter"
Dina Dayal's mesmerising display of acrobatic swordsmanship - 8:40pm - "Illuminations"
An enlightening discourse on the wisdom of the East by Indradyumna Swami, the Founder and Director of Le Carnaval Spirituel - 9:00pm - "The Shyam Dance"
The Rajasthani village folk dance of the soul's search for spiritual fulfillment performed by the “Le Carnavale” Dance Troupe - 9:10pm - "Kirtan"
Mantra meditation through music performed by the cast of Le Carnaval Spirituel - 9:20pm - “Le grande finale”
Testimonials
What representatives of some European host cities and countries and some Australian cities have to say about Le Carnaval Spirituel performances...
"...a cultural and artistic undertaking on a very high professional level..."
"...the festival is splendid, and the people presenting it are full of kindness and grace."
"...a wonderful atmosphere, delivering a great cultural experience."
"...a visual feast" - Paramatta Sun
"...a unique mix of traditional performance, martial arts and yoga." - Illawara Mercury, December 1, 2008
"The show was just amazing, particularly the elaborate and colourful costumes, the sword dancing and acrobatic martial artists." - The Manly Daily, December 5, 2008
