India


India: The land of many colors, many flavors, many faces India… It the most mystic and mysterious place in Asia. Many travelers and wisdom seekers go there for an unplanned and often unpredicted journey to find a spiritual path.

India is a country of many Colors: The sacred and daily used pooja Powder; The endless designs and fabrics of the women's Saris; The colorful and tasteful spices decorating and constructing the Indian cuisine. India is a country of many Flavors: The massive variety of Foods, changes its taste and color while alternating Places: The mild or spicy Red Chili of the south, Sweet jaghri- melting raw sugar, The ultimate coconut- in every south Indian dish, Cooked tarkari- seasonal vegetables in spices (yellow, green, red curry),Crunchy nuts (badam), Cool curd (to soothe the hot & spicy feel…), The many type of breads- Roti, Chapati, Puri… India is a country of Faces: The appearance of the people changes from north to south: skin color, facial structure. The fair Indians are the Himalaya dwellers and the southern Indians have the perfect tan. There are also a variety of Languages, religions and cultural mixture: Hindu, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Sikkim and others. Wherever and Whichever way you travel through India, time can be frozen as it is going on…

Indian Dance has also many features. There are 7 Classical dance forms in India: The energetic Katak from northern India, BaratNatyam from the state of Tamil Nadu, the graceful Kuchipudi originated in Andra Pradesh, The famine Odissi from Orissa, the expressive Mohiniattam and Kathakali fro the state of Kerala and Manipuri from the far north east- Manipur. The common features of all the styles are rhythmic footwork, hand gestures (Mudras) and facial expression (Abhinaya). Each style excel with a different characteristic. (click the links for more information)
Abhinaya Foot work Mudra		Lord Nataraja- It is believed he created the world with his dance and music.

Kuchipudi	Oddissi		Kathakali	Kathak	Mohini Attam
My journey through India was in search of Indian Dance. I found a great Kuchipudi Guru, Vyjayanthi Kashi , in the city of Bangalore, state of Karnataka. It was a great opportunity to Experience life with a kind Indian family and a superior opportunity to observe an excellent artist in creation. The first time I went to India, Kashi was at the dawn of a new dance-drama program called 'Yagna'. As her student I was honored for the chance to go on stage with 'YAGNA' and we toured India all the way to Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, and other stages within the state of Karnataka. The second time I visited India was totally dedicated to further studies of Kuchipudi with my Guru. This time it was a stretch of nine months of intensive training in the style. Again I was fortunate to join the Shambhavi Dance Ensemble in many programs and shows throughout India: national festivals in Kerela (Cochin, Thrivandrum), Orissa (Konark) and many places in Karnataka state. This time Smt.Vyjayanthi Kashi worked on another project: a home for dance...a new dance theatre for all the art lovers. I began my professional journey on May 6th 2007 with a solo kuchipudi recital in "Shambhavi Dance Theatre", Bangalore.

2004	2006		2008		2009
Today while in India I am going deeper into the Kuchipudi style and living the Indian dance and culture with my Guru Smt.Vyjayanthi Kashi, under with the support of a scholarship ICCR (Indian Council of cultural Relation). While in Israel I am performing and introducing this wonderful dance to the people of my birthland. Click here for article on non-Indian who met the Indian classical dance. No words can describe this astonishing journey in India. The strong energies cannot be shown at any photo. India…just go there!
For more information on Indian Dance click the links: www.schoolofkuchipudi.com saigan.com/heritage/dindex.html dmoz.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Classical_Indian/
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