Creative Vision

Is it Classical Dance, Fusion or Contemporary? Yoga or Acting?  Ancient or Modern?

Find the space where the lines blur and traditions are personalized. Dive deep into the heart of various aspects of dance and allied disciplines if India and beyond - such as: Odissi classical dance, Natya Shastra Karana, Indian Fusion Dance, Contemporary dance, Yoga, and Kalaripayattu (martial arts).  Experience both structured training and creative somatic exploration within the same framework. Our days will include the following classes:

• THE DANCE OF BREATH: yoga

  Vinyasa Krama Yoga, a breath based traditional system of Yoga that works with set choreographies (vinyasa) where graceful movement follows breath… the result is a samadhi experience while in motion.  Experience profound healing and transcendence of mundane emotional blockages, while opening an preparing the body for dance.

• MYTHIC BODY: acting and somatics

  What if darshan (vision of the divine) happens somatically?  Somatic explorations based on Classical Indian dance abhinaya - transposing the idea of conjuring myths, visions of ‘Gods/Goddesses’ and sacred landscapes through the body.  Enter free-flow poetic states as we explore ancient text through the body.

• LASYA FLOW: raqs sharqi derivatives

  Withholding the patriarchal colonial term ‘bellydance’ which invokes the male gaze - we take the movement dynamics and pathways from ‘Indian fusion bellydance’ and seek them from the inside out.   We will be exploring the theme of Sringara Rasa - the romantic / femininity in its symbolic fullness through both through structured techniques and sequences, as well as explorations.  Musicality, raga, accents and rhythm serve as tools to create form and method to find nuance and suggestion.

• PRANAM: indian classical dance

  Reverential Salutations.  Enter the space where dance and our actual bodies become sacred.  Learn choreography and co-create ritual movement.  Inspired by Odissi classical Indian dance initially, discover what movements want to come through your body as you explore prostrations, salutations and gestures of reverence.  

• BODY MAPS: vedic philosophy and myth

  Theoretical study sessions of the body as mapped in:  Vedanta, Tantra, Samkhya, Yoga, Indian Aesthetics, Folklore and Myth.  We will be studying from specific sanskrit texts (some reading assignments will be given before the residency to acquaint students with the subjects).

Who is this training for?

Actors, Dancers, Visual Artists, Yoga practitioners… movers of all disciplines who want to explore poetic movement at ends of a spectrum - highly stylized and complex, to intuitive somatic unraveling. Those interested to explore femininity and mythology through the body and the breath. Beginners to dance/acting are welcome.

Villa Shakti Crete

Villa Shakti Crete is a beautiful sanctuary of art and yoga on the Greek island of Crete where Shakti Summer School Greece takes place – hosting a variety of different Dance, Yoga, Ayurveda and Embodiment Teachings with teachers from around the world.  Colleena Shakti and the Villa Shakti team welcomes you home to the vibrant nature, rugged mountains and sparkling beaches of the ‘sunset side’ of the island.  This home of intentional art offers you a chance to rejuvenate, re-center and create art without distraction.  Healthy home cooked meals and Greek village hospitality awaits!

Cost

Please have a look at accommodation options, prices are based on your chosen accommodation.  This program fills first come first served, so to secure a place in this intimate professional immersion, please fill out your application soon!