Priya Sakhi, the Soul in Natya.... what is this soul. where is it? Philosophically, where is this soul? then what is mind? Soul pervades the physical body.. it is indestructible.... is it the inner voice? Aatma-- jeevaatma, the Paramaatma...
So many thoughts about the Soul.
But in Natya (here I refer to Indian classical dance), we find skilled dancers lack something in Abhinaya (expression). In a music concert sometimes it is rendition of a song that stops at being just skillful, it does not move me... In that Painting , the use of colours speaks to me, the eyes convey... There is something in this bhangi of the sculpture... Even in non artistic activity they say, `he has put his heart and soul in the project.
This is the same Soul? or do we refer to the feeling. At some level, we souls are one.. but how is it that we are not able to connect?
That feeling, the connection, is it not what we want as we dance? Then how do we work at it? teach it?
As an aacharya (teacher-- prefer this to Guru) of natya, it is here that I struggle.
The technique can be taught, the music, the meaning, the dhvani, the nuances, the `knotting' of the eyebrow, the `saachi drishti', the glance of the eye-- yes all this can be taught at a reasonable level. But to get to the soul?
As a dancer we can practise, we can read, prepare and practise endlessly... but how do we get to the Soul?
Years ago in a Bhutto dance workshop conducted by the Arangham trust, we learnt how to connect to the music, to feel. So to a particular music, we were asked to do a set of sequences, react to the music. Now, I thought it was the easiest for me, as I love music, I love to emote... confident of this exercise, I presented a series of movements of sringara (love). But I was dismissed saying I was acting-- not emoting, not feeling.. No Soul.
That really set me thinking. So abhinaya is learning the song, understanding the meaning (here for me personally, over-analysing the kind of heroine, sthaayi simply kills my experience), dhvani, nuances of the ghamaka of music and a host of other things. But what is most important is that it relies on the ability to feel. To convert this feeling without acting but actually FEELING. Hence it relies on our experiences, our soul's ability ... There again we need our SOUL-- so we need to connect to our own Souls. Is that why we say Natya is divine?
Priya Sakhi... How beautifully Adi Sankara explained to us about our levels of existence-- the prathibhasika, the vyaavahaarika and paaramaarthika... But I still live in the illusory one? When am I going to transcend the rope- snake illusion, come to understand the mundane and transcend? When am I going to connect to the soul.... Or wait.....
Priya Sakhi .... are you my Soul?
Sakhi Praana....
So many thoughts about the Soul.
But in Natya (here I refer to Indian classical dance), we find skilled dancers lack something in Abhinaya (expression). In a music concert sometimes it is rendition of a song that stops at being just skillful, it does not move me... In that Painting , the use of colours speaks to me, the eyes convey... There is something in this bhangi of the sculpture... Even in non artistic activity they say, `he has put his heart and soul in the project.
This is the same Soul? or do we refer to the feeling. At some level, we souls are one.. but how is it that we are not able to connect?
That feeling, the connection, is it not what we want as we dance? Then how do we work at it? teach it?
As an aacharya (teacher-- prefer this to Guru) of natya, it is here that I struggle.
The technique can be taught, the music, the meaning, the dhvani, the nuances, the `knotting' of the eyebrow, the `saachi drishti', the glance of the eye-- yes all this can be taught at a reasonable level. But to get to the soul?
As a dancer we can practise, we can read, prepare and practise endlessly... but how do we get to the Soul?
Years ago in a Bhutto dance workshop conducted by the Arangham trust, we learnt how to connect to the music, to feel. So to a particular music, we were asked to do a set of sequences, react to the music. Now, I thought it was the easiest for me, as I love music, I love to emote... confident of this exercise, I presented a series of movements of sringara (love). But I was dismissed saying I was acting-- not emoting, not feeling.. No Soul.
That really set me thinking. So abhinaya is learning the song, understanding the meaning (here for me personally, over-analysing the kind of heroine, sthaayi simply kills my experience), dhvani, nuances of the ghamaka of music and a host of other things. But what is most important is that it relies on the ability to feel. To convert this feeling without acting but actually FEELING. Hence it relies on our experiences, our soul's ability ... There again we need our SOUL-- so we need to connect to our own Souls. Is that why we say Natya is divine?
Priya Sakhi... How beautifully Adi Sankara explained to us about our levels of existence-- the prathibhasika, the vyaavahaarika and paaramaarthika... But I still live in the illusory one? When am I going to transcend the rope- snake illusion, come to understand the mundane and transcend? When am I going to connect to the soul.... Or wait.....
Priya Sakhi .... are you my Soul?
Sakhi Praana....
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