3M With Shantha – Mobile App Series 25

3M With Shantha – Mobile App Series 25

The latest episode of Shall We Dance! opened with Ram welcoming listeners back to the show that delves into the many layers of Bharatanatyam, culture, and timeless wisdom. By his side was Shantha, whose insights and presence shaped the conversation with grace. Shantha introduced the theme of the day — the progression to Rasa Sutra.

Though abstract to many, she explained, it is the very essence of how emotion transforms into aesthetic experience in Bharatanatyam. Ram added that, as described in the Natyashastra, rasa is not just emotion but the distilled essence experienced by the audience, and it begins with the sthayibhava, or dominant emotion.

Together, they described how emotions like love, anger, or fear, when layered with fleeting states — the vyabhicari bhavas of jealousy, shame, or doubt — deepen into something profound. Ram emphasized that this layering moves the performance from bhava (the dancer’s emotion) to rasa (the audience’s felt experience), while Shantha highlighted the role of abhinaya, where each glance, gesture, and subtle movement becomes the bridge to evoke rasa.

They then spoke about the mobile app Shall We Dance! and how it makes this progression accessible through a series of short videos. Each clip illustrates the alchemy of performance, showing how a dancer transitions from base emotion to rasa. Shantha gave the example of jealousy: beginning with admiration, then moving through doubt, shame, and anger, until finally merging into raudra or shringara rasa.

Ram pointed out that even non-dancers could appreciate Bharatanatyam more deeply by recognizing this journey rather than only the destination. Shantha then invited listeners to preview a chapter titled “Path to Rasa Sutra” from the app, where each short video highlights one emotional transition. As gentle music swelled, Shantha introduced a clip called “The Journey of Jealousy”.

In it, the dancer moves from admiration to envy, and finally to burning passion — each transition subtle yet powerful. This, she explained, is the magic of Rasa Sutra: where art transforms emotion into a shared human experience.

Ram concluded by reminding listeners that these videos were available in the app under the Rasa Sutra Series and encouraged them to explore and share their experiences. Shantha signed off warmly, urging everyone to keep watching, keep feeling, and keep dancing.