Sruti has been receiving emails from artists, rasikas and Sruti readers on their inspirations, experiences this lockdown and what they are listening to during this period.
Sruti has compiled this series as lockdown diaries and sharing some of them with you.
#artistdiaries
Priya Murle, Bharatanatyam dancer & teacher
The lockdown has taught me to live in the ‘Now’. At the beginning the power of this tiny virus eluded me. But over time ( a concept of which we have all redefined) the enormity of the situation hit me.
During the early days of the lockdown it took sometime to settle into the new routine of domestication. The family time, which was a rarity, is something that all of us will treasure. Realised that the art of cooking is as intricate and exacting as our dance movements - a test that needs to be faced everyday, hopefully well!
The lockdown has given me time to reflect, introspect and rethink many of the issues that have been at the back of my mind. Acceptance and living in the Now is my new mantra. Attending some useful online workshops has put my mission and vision as a dancer in perspective. Working on some pieces for abhinaya and choreographing some items for my students have kept me engaged as also the online classes for my students. Whilst we did a short awareness presentation for an appeal for the 'ABHAI -Artiste to Artiste welfare fund', I read up on Janani Prithvi, mother Earth, who holds a pot in her hand and is an embodiment of Lakshmi. She is Kamadhenu , who gives all that we need- water sunlight, food, clothing and shelter. I guess it's time to revere mother Earth and nourish her .
Researching, choreographing, dancing , exercising are some things that I am doing more. There are times my mind is blank, there were days when I am completely devastated about inhuman acts and thoughts of class, caste etc that still plague the society . But I get up every day thankful, hopeful as I always think the miracle is lurking at the corner , waiting to happen ..
I would like to sign of with this wonderful quote of Tolle, "Life is the dancer and you are the dance".
Vaibhav Arekar, Bharatanatyam dancer
Mid March 2020 the world turned upside down for all of us. It was an emotional roller coaster ride that started from the world of promise travelling through anxiety, doubt, worry, helplessness, acceptance, calmness and to the present state of unlimited hope.
I drew a timetable and did, apart from household chores and cooking, meditation, reading, ideating, and keeping the body in practice. My focus has been, and is, to observe where does my dance lead me from this point.Physically, emotionally and conceptually too.
But what has definitely most affected my life now is this: The realisation that I too was running, always wanting to go ‘somewhere’ and to be ‘someone’. There is, it seems so for me, a lot of clarity in this aspect of life.
Vaibhav pc: Music Academy
Priya pc: ABHAI