The Dance of Motherhood

For more than a decade I was only a classical dancer, and then two babies came along. Time for Dance and the world of ideas was minimum(literally stolen time!) and yet I was creatively pregnant like never before! I wondered why I was now having this flood of ideas and creativity? Why not before, when I had much more time for dance riyaaz and dance events!
Dance after two kids was more about the process of sharing and enjoying with others in the spirit of satsang. The Indianness and pride in cultural values was something I wanted for all kids, not just mine. Yet I knew in today's world children get very little exposure to Indian classical. How will they pursue it over many years, when they dont know what's beautiful about it? That is how I gave birth to my third baby, the workshop 'Mum,ME and Odissi'! Executed with the help of my sister Swaati Vivek and with technical support from my father in Nov 2011 the first workshop came through.
Since then many sessions have happened and also many other dance events under 'Dance Travels', yet I know the genesis of all this creativity was Mum,ME and Odissi and prior to that motherhood. According to my chanting Guru it was due to the stimulus of the planets of Venus and Moon. Both are connected to motherhood, creativity and classical dance.
It is still elusive to me, as to what creativity the reproductive process and motherhood bring to a creative artist, but I know there is a connection for sure. A connection where an artist learns from life - from children and motherhood - the joy of sharing, spontaniety, creativity and being in the moment all the time. The many emotions and all the rasas of life are revealed and life comes forth multicolour! As 'Mum, ME and Odissi' starts its new session this summer, I am utterly grateful to my children and to God for for leading my creative process in such an amazing way. Thank you.

More about 'Mum.ME and Odissi' at the weblink: www.jayamehta.in/mum-me-odissi.php