Vija Vētra Masterclass at I-deja Studio
In truth, I was more interested in the personality of this legendary woman - she, at 92 years of age, had crossed the ocean, flying from America to Riga to meet with dancers in Latvia. Still supple and sprightly enough. Another insight I took away particularly for myself: if you're meeting a legend, don't expect anything superhuman, or disappointment will follow.
Yesterday, on the afternoon of 16 June, I attended the masterclass of the renowned master of Indian sacred dance, Vija Vētra. Unlike the majority of the event's attendees, who had previously engaged with Indian dance to a greater or lesser extent, it was my very first experience of Indian dance. So why not take one's first steps in Indian dance under the guidance of such an outstanding master?!
In truth, I was more interested in the personality of this legendary woman. She, at 92 years of age, had crossed the ocean, flying from America to Riga to meet with dancers in Latvia. Still supple and sprightly enough. I was a little disappointed that there was precious little in the way of conversation, and that for an hour and a half we practised dance movements which, as a layperson, I sensed were basic movements of Indian dance.
The leg muscles got a good workout, and it had been a long time since my forehead and back were so sweaty. The insight that Vija Vētra emphasised while teaching us the dance, and which I fully agree with:
while dancing, where the hand is directed, the gaze follows; where the gaze is directed, the thought must follow; and where there is thought, something good is bound to happen. And this isn't just in dance - purposefulness is important everywhere.
If no soul is put into the dance, then the dancer is a marionette or a windmill (one must say, not a very flattering observation about Latvian folk dance). Constant repetition is valuable for building muscle memory. When the mind fails and the choreography is forgotten, muscle memory saves the day - the body continues the dance.
Another insight I took away particularly for myself - if you're meeting a legend, don't expect anything superhuman, or disappointment will follow (as it has before). Legends are people just like anyone else, with their own quirks, weaknesses, and need for support (including financial). Legends "perform for the camera, for the lens" - that is perhaps why they have achieved popularity in their lives. One simply has to accept and learn from that.
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