The Responsive Body: Somatic Abhinaya Intensive - Moving past the plastic smile: somatic tools to embody Navarasas and explore genuine emotion in classical dance.
Your tatkar is crisp, your aramandi is solid, and your hastas are sharp.
So why does the expression still feel painted on?
Most classical dancers are taught Abhinaya from the outside in: widen the eyes, tilt the chin, freeze the smile. The result? Performers who look technically flawless, but emotionally disconnected—relying on a mechanical "plastic smile" that fails to move the audience.
True Abhinaya is not facial acting. It is a physiological state.
The Responsive Body: Somatic Abhinaya Intensive is a 90-minute immersion designed specifically for serious dancers and dance educators to move past miming and anchor the Navarasas inside the physical body.
Using principles of Dance Movement Therapy and somatic psychology, we explore:
The Somatic Anatomy of the Nine Rasas: Locating the breath patterns, spinal adjustments, and weight shifts that give rise to felt emotion.
Overcoming Self-Consciousness: Shedding performance freeze and stage anxiety to access vulnerable, uninhibited expression.
Pedagogical Cues for Teachers: Actionable methods to help your intermediate students emote naturally without forcing artificial expressions.
Who is this for?
Performers & Dancers looking to bring authenticity and conviction to complex roles
Dance Teachers seeking innovative, practical methods to teach Abhinaya
Technically Strong Dancers who want to boost their confidence in emotional expression
Enthusiasts & Beginners eager to explore the Navarasas (5+ dance experience required)
What to expect:
Somatosensory Embodiment: Learn how emotions physically register and move through your body.
Navarasa Foundations: Gain a grounded understanding of the nine foundational emotions.
Authentic Expression: Uncover your personal, convincing way to express feel.
Explorative Environment: Practice in a safe, non-judgmental, and open-minded space.
Takeaways:
A deeper awareness of somatic emotional expression beyond mere facial gestures
Practical breathwork techniques to support and sustain your expressions
Pedagogical tools to teach Abhinaya effectively to your students
Versatile strategies to portray a single emotion in multiple ways
Techniques to regulate and process emotions in your personal life
Outcomes:
For the Performer (Dancers with 5+ Years Experience)
Drop the "Plastic Smile": Replace rigid, painted-on facial expressions with felt, organic emotion that registers all the way to the last row.
Master Breath-Driven Abhinaya: Learn the exact breath rates and spinal postures that trigger each of the 9 Rasas instantly, bypassing stage freeze.
Stop Miming, Start Embodying: Transition from mechanical hand-and-eye gestures to whole-body emotional projection that feels effortless and authentic.
Expand Expressive Range: Break personal inhibitions around portraying "unflattering" or intense states like Bibhatsa (disgust), Bhayanaka (fear), and Raudra (rage).
For the Dance Educator & Choreographer
A New Pedagogy: Gain concrete somatic cues to coach intermediate students who struggle to emote, without relying on "just copy my face."
Bypass Self-Consciousness: Walk away with movement-based warm-ups that dissolve awkwardness and self-doubt in young performers.
Translate Classical Texts to Modern Bodies: Learn how to teach Bhaava and Rasa through relatable physiological cues rather than abstract, hard-to-grasp theory.
Elevate Stage Presence Across Your Troupe: Build choreography where dancers move with cohesive emotional intention, not just synchronized footwork.
Facilitated by: Aruna Nagaraj (Bharatanatyam Dancer, Dance/Movement Therapy Facilitator) & Deepti Hasabi (Kathakaar & Dance/Movement Therapy Facilitator)
A Gentle Note
This session is designed as an experiential and educational introduction. It is not intended as a substitute for long-term clinical psychotherapy. Participants seeking deeper, personalized somatic or psychological work are welcome to continue exploring therapeutic journeys with the therapists following the workshop.
Event venue
Upasana - Culture, Community & Wellness Space, WGF9+89P 2nd Floor, 9th Main Road, Ideal Homes Township, above Maharaja Vadapav, Remco Bhel Layout, Javarandoddi, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560098, India, Bangalore
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