Colleena Shakti is one of my beloved teachers of this lifetime, and is an artist of great subtlety and depth. Trained in Odissi classical Indian dance and well-versed in many styles of dance from India and beyond, Colleena lives a rare and artistic path steeped in rich tradition. Yoga, Aesthetics and related philosophies are an integral part of her holistic vision.
Colleena has dedicated her life to dance ever since moving to India in 2001 to undergo intensive training in Odissi, as well as to research and document Rajasthani folk dances, music, and jewellery traditions. Colleena lived closely with a tribe of Kalbelia people and has witnessed many stages of evolution within their nomadic culture. She has had immense fortune to study under some of India’s greatest masters for more than a decade, and continues to dig deeper into the philosophies and practices, which tie Indian dance to the path of Yoga.
Colleena is committed to honouring lineage and preserving traditional and quickly disappearing art forms of India. She lives most of the year in Rajasthan, India where she founded Shakti School of Dance over a decade ago in the historical Rang Nath temple complex in the holy town of Pushkar, while in summer months she tours, performing and teaching worldwide, alongside hosting programs at her picturesque summer school on the Greek island of Crete.
For this brand new podcast episode, Colleena calls in from her home in Rajasthan, India – so forgive any audio glitches!
In this conversation we touch on:
•Honouring tradition, guru, and lineage
•What is Sadhana
•Indian culture
•The art and beauty of dance and yoga
•Vedic holistic worldview
•Indian classical arts and studentship
•Some book and film recommendations
•the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu
•Her Indian school “Shakti School Of Dance”
Find Colleena on Instagram, Facebook, and her website.
And if you can think of someone whom would benefit from this dialogue, please do them a favour and send it their way. That is the best way to get these conversations into the ears and hearts of our wider community – to those who need it most.