This is the story of a group of people who have been working relentlessly everyday for the past four years against every odd with only limited resources and no financial backing to create a world dance company to come out of India.
Omaggio was born in 2013 with the idea of giving an opportunity to young people of India, who had a true inclination for the performing arts. Giving them the knowledge and tools necessary to fulfil their dreams of becoming high level International artists. For this, Peeya Rai Choudhuri and Tino Sanchez, created an training program mixing the discipline of Western artistic work; Contemporary Dance, Modern Dance, Physical Theatre, improvisation and acrobatic aerial training, along with the philosophy and spirituality of this great country, Classical Indian Dance, Yoga, Meditation, etc.
In the first year we were able to bring together a group of young people from different parts of India, giving them a scholarship financed by ourselves. This scholarship consisted of dance training, lodging and food support for a year. That first year was hard economically but rewarding in the sense of seeing the possibilities of the future.
After the first year we started to create means of subsistence in order to continue with the project. One of them was the design of a children's school of Performing Arts in Goa, called Omaggio for Kids Performing Arts school.
With time Omaggio has become, on one hand, an alternative education center through the performing arts and an artistic anchor within the community.On the other hand Omaggio has become a professional company with an international artistic level, composed by 9 artists from different parts of India. With this becoming a versatile company without previous precedents in this country. So much so, that for our artistic quality we were chosen in 2016 by Cirque du Soleil, for its first performance in India.Omaggio formed the dance body for the event in Kolkata.
Now, in a certain way we have become a collective community where all contribute through their work towards the company and ultimately towards their own training . The members of the company have already achieved, a professional level . And continue to train and improve day by day, sharing with other young people the values they have learned.
Also fortunate to have the visit of different professors always in a totally altruistic way . Relevant figures in the international scene . Artists who have been part of major companies like: Cirque du Soleil, Seven Fingers, Netherlands Dans Theatre among others.
These 9 years have been tough, but extremely enriching. We have been able to train artists from different parts of India with a dedication, discipline and vocation worthy of starting to develope professional production like 'Jalika' and now our new production 'Circadian' next stop showing our work on the international platfroms.