Yoga/Dance for the Goddess! ( A repost )

[Guest guest]

devi_bhakta

 

Does Goddess-focused hatha yoga sound appealing to you? Then check

out the book, "A Yoga of Indian Classical Dance," by Roxanne Kamayani

Gupta, a Kuchipudi classical dancer and research scholar -- and, if

I'm not mistaken, a member of this club!. From an

interview:

 

* Q: In writing this book do you hope to reach dancers or yoga

practitioners? Have you had any feedback?

 

I hope to reach anyone who is interested in yoga, Indian dance and

spirituality, whether a performer or audience member, a practitioner,

or someone who simply wants to know more about Indian culture. I have

already had such an amazingly positive response to the book,

especially from women, that I feel fortunate to have published this

book. What is wonderful is that there are so many women out there who

are doing similar things, as if we are all picking up on the same

energy. The Goddess is definitely moving!

 

* Q: What has been your experience with students who have learnt your

style of yoga ?

I have had many experiences really, and my teaching style has evolved

over the years as well. What I always try to emphasize is that one

must make yoga one's own. Yoga does not exist independently of the

people who practice it. It is not a system that exists "out there" to

be fed into. Rather it is a technique that has to be adapted for

particular persons in particular contexts. Mine happened to be yoga

of Indian classical dance. Someone else might be quite different

depending upon what they are doing with their life. So I can't

generalize about my experiences with my various students except to

say that I have encouraged them to learn the basics from me and then

get into finding their own yoga.

 

* Q: Can you elaborate on your dance performance "Adi Shakti: Dawn of

the First Goddess"?

"Adi Shakti" is a performance version of all that I have written

about in my book. It is basically a one-woman dance drama that traces

the evolution of the Goddess in the Indian tradition using movement

from yoga and the language of Indian classical dance, various images,

myths and translated verses from the Hindu tradition -- both Vedic

and Tantric. As such it synthesizes yoga and dance, psychoanalytic

insight and spirituality, scholarship and performance, drama and

humor. Friends who have seen it have remarked that it is the story of

my life, and others have said, "It is all our stories." For me both

the book and Adi Shakti has been experiences similar to giving birth -

- drawing upon every last ounce of my energy.

 

The results are offerings both from and back to the Great Mother, in

thanks for my life.

… The entire program presents the Goddess in a way that is

totally

consistent with traditional Hindu beliefs. In fact, one of my

purposes for creating it was to supplement courses on Hinduism and

Goddess Worship, etc. at colleges and universities. However, I read

the tradition from a "feminist" perspective. This is perfectly

allowable as the wonderful thing about Hinduism is that there is

no "one way" to interpret the traditional myths. The tradition itself

is open ended, creative and therefore a constant source of new

revelation. As for whether something is traditional or contemporary,

it can be both. The question is whether it works or not. Is it

satisfying to the audience? Does it convey something significant? Do

people remember it and think about it the next day?

 

* The full interview: http://www.kanakasabha.com/dancenews/roxanne.htm

· See the book, reviews and sample pages:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892817658/ref=pd_sim_books/002

-8025469-2

· Prof. Gupta's homepage: http://www.RoxanneGupta.com

 

 

adi_shakthi16

 

dearest db, you never cease to amaze me! i was absolutely thrilled to

read this post and the links therein!

 

Roxanne seems to combine in her all the skthis- iccha, kriya and

jnana! i don't know how this young lady has the energy and the

enthusiasm to weave the disciplines of yoga, kuchpudi dance,

scholarly and academic pursuits and a busy householder all in a day?

she seems to be determined, disciplined and above all very talented!

 

thanks db for bringing this to our attention! as a dancer, it is

always wonderful to read about other dancers and their success.

 

did you know db that NATYA SHARTA IS considered a ****FIFTH**** VEDA?

 

you are already of four vedas , right?

 

1)athharva

2)yajur

3)sama and

4) rig veda...

 

now, Bharat muni calles natya shastra fifth veda for the following

reason...

 

jagrah patyam rigvedat samebyo geetameva ca

yajurvedadabinayam rasad atharvavedathaiva

 

BhARAT MUNI , the author of natya shastra says.....

 

HE took ****reading and speaking**** art from RIG VEDA

 

THE ****SINGING**** from SamA veda

 

tHE *****ACTING ART****from YAJUR VEDA

 

AND ******sentiments*****(rasa) from atharva veda.

 

and combined all these 4 vedas and made then into one comprehensive

natya shastra....

music and dance are my soul!