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 Embracing dance in the cradle of nature - Swati Potulwar e-mail: potulwarswati@gmail.com October 14, 2023 Between 12th to 15th of August 2023 students of Nrityadham, Pune, had a wonderful opportunity to attend a dance retreat conducted by Guru Prerana Deshpande. Away from the hustle-bustle of Pune city, we went in a natural ambience amidst beautiful mountain ranges and lush green trees. The highlight of the experience was NO WIFI connection and so no mobile phones or laptops or any devices. And we all were driven and motivated to focus on mind, body and dance.  Prerana Deshpande Every day began at 7:30am with an hour-long yoga session. This session's emphasis was on breathing control through pranayama, asanas for body balancing, and exercises designed to strengthen the knees and back. To practice yoga in such beautiful surroundings was a dream come true for me. For a very long time, I had wanted to do this. I experienced ease for the first time while performing Shirshasana, and I believe this harmony resulted from a focus on my mind and body. My inner power also propelled me, allowing me to cooperate more effectively with my body. It would help me to improve the detail in my presentations if I could incorporate this awareness of mind and body into my normal dance practice. After this mindful Yoga session, it was time for breakfast. And by 10am everyone was fully ready to rock with ghungroos tied on the feet and mind tuned to rhythm. From vilambit to drut laya, there was an hour of energetic footwork using a variety of tatkaars. It was difficult the first day, but with time it became better and better until I could feel the ease each day. It's likely that the hip opening exercises gave it that extra comfort. One hour just disappeared as the beat of my inner thoughts attempted to synchronize with the rhythm of my feet. Working on various spins is a crucial component of Kathak, after establishing the basis. Learning classic hastaks in various compositions, such as Aamad, Paran, Toda, Tihai, Permelu, and Tatkaar, was extremely challenging, and our brains were compelled to concentrate and fully understand each movement of Prerana tai. On the beat and off the beat, there was smooth sailing with only a small difference in the composition, as though the layas of my body, the composition, and my intellect were combining. The clock would strike for lunch time and we all would sit back together enjoying the meal. The special discussion sessions were part of every meal like how do we work on stamina, balance, remembering multitude of compositions and so on. After the lunch 45 minutes relaxing time, watching beautiful mountains and changing shades of sky with rains, and simultaneously recollecting the lessons from the morning, work on Padhant (recite the compositions on taal) and memorize the movements. But we hardly saw Prerana tai taking a break, she would immediately start with teaching one of the groups. Her energy throughout the sessions was driving all of us to dance the whole day.  Besides this the beautiful nature with rains, chirping sounds of birds like peacock, kingfisher and coucal, simply added a charm to it. The much-anticipated tea time was finally here, and the discussion continued about how we were able to concentrate better in such a lovely setting and how we could apply this enthusiasm to our everyday practice sessions. Recharged after tea break, dancing would continue till 8pm until getting to the dinner tables. A feeling of accomplishment of the day would subside by then and all set for the endless discussions till we fell asleep awaiting the next day with double energy. One of the topics discussed I remember very well was the idea that riyaaz, if enjoyed fully, is similar to a performance. Precisely when we fully appreciate riyaaz the energy lasts all the way through the performance. Tai was keeping a sharp eye on us while we practiced, giving us numerous corrections on our posture, movement, and other aspects. This sparked my inner teacher and gave me confirmation that I am indeed following in her footsteps and instilling detailing in my students.  The charm of group practice is that you are all pushed to become more motivated. In four days of sessions there was a great sense of togetherness. Over the course of the 4 days, we also forged a sense of closeness and made memories that will last a lifetime. None of us mentioned feeling worn out or exhausted, and none of us remembered having any health problems. The ultimate objective was to place an emphasis on focused study in order to increase our connection to the earth and mother nature and to learn about the biophilic relationship between dance and everything around us. Prerana tai kept us engaged while teaching us difficult compositions and dance all day long. Being away from usual work pressure, personal commitments, this time understanding was so much clearer and more precise, and also grasping was quicker. Our rigorous riyaaz undoubtedly increased our mental and physical toughness to the next level. Due to the hectic pace of our lifestyle, it can be challenging to practice or study dance on a daily basis. However, with such intensives, one can choose to learn and then practice at their own pace and convenience. Away from homes and so away from day-to-day responsibilities one can certainly learn so much. Looking forward to many more such sessions in the coming years!  Swati Potulwar is a senior disciple of Guru Prerana Deshpande. She is propagating Kathak through her school Kathak Abhijaat in Chennai since 2012. |
