Movement can become a movement only when passion meets purpose inside of people who feel as strongly about Classical Dance and embodying it at the height it demands to be practiced at.
Junoon has privileged access to the minds and practice of Dancers who are pushing themselves every day, every step of the way, to enable and execute that Movement.
These are our exchanges. They could answer your questions, make you dig deeper, make you feel less alone on your very solitary journey as a practitioner of the Arts and make your love, practice, passion and will stronger.
We all need a space to become who we hope to. And we don't have to do it by ourselves, without added perspective. We all need a space to breathe our dreams, dilemmas, fears and hopes into and carry away inspiration, guidance and direction from.
Junoon has you covered. Yours and ours.
This is what makes the Movement possible.
FOREWORD
Never before have I felt more strongly about the indispensability of being mentored on our otherwise freakishly solitary journeys as Classical Dancers.
We arrive at a point in our practice of our beloved dance forms where we need to talk, we need to breath our fears, hopes, complexes, dreams, questions, dilemmas, hopelessness and optimism into the ears of someone who will listen and lend perspective, into spaces that we feel encouraged, safe and driven towards our goals in - whatever they may be, wherever they make us go beyond ourselves.
I am thrilled to mark the beginning of these exchanges on Junoon with Aarya Deshpande who wishes to embody the Art at a height that not very long from now, will test her resolve, her love, her willingness and her passion for her Art.
Junoon is committed to bolster the commitment of anyone who wishes to practice, perform and promulgate the Classical Arts. To have privileged access to the minds and practice of Dancers coming into their own and pushing past their limits is every reason for us to move alongside them, every step of the way.
This is our Movement - a place where passion meets intent in purposeful artistes.
Mentoring makes the Movement possible.
It takes us and our Art forms to the height only Junoon can.
Yours and ours.
EXCHANGES
LETTER ONE
Dear Mythu,
My thoughts are honestly all over the place. But this is what I could think of on the spur of the moment:
I recently found a quote which said "put your heart into dance and it will never leave your heart". Only after reading this, I realised that dance is something that you embody. You become it, you breathe dance. The moment you become restless without dancing is when you truly become a dancer.
Dance empowers you. It teaches you endurance, discipline, awareness, and humanity.
Especially those who are fortunate enough to be associated with an Indian classical dance form, learn all these above mentioned qualities, the hard way. Theory and practice teach us not only to become a better dancer but a better person.
On another note, I love how dance has no boundaries. It's flexible. You can add your individuality and creativity to dance and it will happily embrace it. When you give a piece of yourself to dance, that's when you put your heart into dance, and hence it becomes your own. ❤️
Love,
Aarya
RESPONSE
Dearest Aarya,
1. It's lovely that you're writing. It always helps bring structure to thoughts that are "all over the place". I can already see the structure, fine understanding and beauty emerge from yours as you penned this little reflection down.
2. Put your heart into dance, yes. But take your mind with you.
3. Right now, your journey is teaching you and preparing you to push your limits.
4. Before you add creativity into the mix, acknowledge that you have limitations and would like to move past them.
That is when the shift begins. That is when your love is put to the test.
Can you keep the love, when you no longer like what you're doing?
I think you can.
But it will the take the will of a very willing dancer.
So above heart, lies will.
You don't have to be enthusiastic and in love every day. You only have to be willing to show up to the challenge of becoming better.
Love,
Mythu
LETTER TWO
Hi Aarya,
With time, I've come to realize that our practice and pursuit of Dance, is a constant meditation. A constant reflection on who you are - as human and dancer, an acceptance of your reality as objectively as you will, an appreciation of where you presently stand with and within the Art form and how you can become better.
Our growth can be limitless. It is limitless. We are never enough. There is always a way to go. But that never takes away from how far we have come and how much we have grown.
What are the small victories that you have made with your practice unto this moment?
How far do you think you've come?
You have to take stock of these improvements, of how hard your body and brain are working to make you better.
They will reveal to you, in some measure, the gifts they are likely to unlock if you persevere into the future...
Love and Strength to you always,
Myth
RESPONSE
Hi Mythu,
During my practice and pursuit of an Indian Classical Dance, when Ive looked at myself objectively, I've constantly struggled to feel complete and accomplished in any capacity since there is always a scope for betterment.
The art form consumes you and you realise that you are only a small dot in its entire universe. Hence all you can do is work your hardest possible to become better. However, as a classical dancer there is always more that you can learn and imbibe, making growth limitless. Most times, this might seem intimidating as well as demotivating to dancers if they do not pause to realise and appreciate how far they have come with their practice and perseverance. Your small wins are your measure of how far you have come.
The best thing about a small win is that you get to decide what it is and that it can be just about anything. I've tried and identified small wins in my regular practice to motivate me to show up to practice on the next day. For me, a small win can range from successfully dissecting and performing a segment of abhinaya that I have been struggling with to holding my nataraj Pada a couple seconds more than I usually could. A small win could be dancing mindfully and paying close attention to each of your actions but it could also be forgetting about your imperfections and insecurities and dancing because you love it.
In this huge and intimidating world of classical dance, I have always depended on my small wins only to realise that every body and mind is different and every dancer has a different Time-line of growth.
Small wins.
Your small wins reveal to you, your aptitude, capacity and the measure in which you can push your body and mind further.
Love,
Aarya