Indian Temple Dance

Sacred Dance of Devotion

Temple Dance of India is based on the tradition of the Deva Dasi, where the dancer consecrates her art as a sacred act for the Divine.  The dance becomes a moving meditation of deep devotion and surrender.  As the dancers conveys the epic stories of the Gods and Goddeses through intricate hand gestures (mudras), foot patterns and expression (abhinaya), she opens herself to be danced ... so that the dancer and dance become One. In its ultimate form, the dancer transcends beyond the outer concepts of artistry, culture and tradition, and communes directly with Source, as Source.

Monika has studied and performed Odissi, a classical temple art form originating from the state of Orissa.  She has learned full-length traditional items incarnating and honoring the deities Parvati, Shiva, Durga, Hanuman, Kali, Radha Rani, Vishnu (and his incarnations Ram and Krishna), Ganesha and the dance of liberation, Mokshya.  The complete temple dance tradition takes decades to master, and Monika is a happy, humbled student of this intricate and demanding art form.  She is deeply grateful for the patience, expertise and dedication of her Odissi teacher, Sri Saroj-ji Dehury who holds on-going open classes and intensives in Bhagsu and Goa, India.

Monika distills and incorporates the spiritual essence of the Deva Dasi in her Mystical Dance® workshops to share the magic of sacred temple principles with all women, regardless of dance background. Specifically, Mystical Dance® fuses the seed foundations of classical Indian temple dance into accessible experiences:  the beauty of moving through our prayers, igniting deeper understanding of Hindu and Universal mythology -- traversing from separation to Oneness -- discovering meaning in every gesture and the Grace of allowing the Universe to dance through us.  

Always yearning to uncover the deepest meaning and significance of sacred art, Monika incorpates her other initiated practices including tantric philosophy, mantras and ritual, into her own manifestations and how she shares the rich heritage of consecrated, devotional dance.