Odissi Dance Performance

Colleena Shakti and three of her advanced students performed today in the Banyan Mandapam, offering their three dances to Siva and to the Divine in all who attended, about 75 in all. Colleen has dedicated her life to dance ever since she moved to India where she trained for years in Odissi classical dance. Today she lives mostly in Rajasthan where she runs the Shakti School of Dance. In summers she tours and teaches, and she just completed a six-day intensive training that ended today, on the Summer Solstice.

Sadasivanathaswami greeted the dance troupe and said a few words of welcome, offering Colleena a traditional shawl and noting today is not only the longest day of the year, but is also the change to Dakshinayane, Father's Day and the first International Yoga Day sanctioned by the United Nations and co-sponsored by 277 nations, an historic event since that many nations never agree on anything at the United Nations.

The two main dances the storytelling style, and we rich with mudras and spiritual tales. At one point the dancer is telling how a crocadile tries to pull an elephant into a pond, an amazing little scene that had us all smiling. Colleen's talent is stunning, and visitors who came not knowing she would perform were visibly impressed that they had stumbled on a truly remarkable group of performers. 

Collena\

s poses seem to mirror Gurudeva in the back ground who loved Indian dance...'

Introductions

Collena\

s students make the traditional opening offering to Lord Ganesha.'

Colleena\

s main program begins'

Honoring the dancers at the end of the performance with copies of Hinduism Today

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