A Comprehensive Study of the Mudras of Indian Dance
“A masterful course for anyone interested in learning and expressing through their hands the variety of moods, feelings, and vast range of emotions that exist...and help unlock the grace that lies within each of us as through a Divine guided journey through the abundant and sublime gestures denoted in the abhinaya dharpana...thank you so much Revital! I loved every moment of this course! Jai Jagannath!”
Online live course with Revital Carroll
“The Mudras of Dance master course is a deep dive into the mudras of Indian Classical Dance. Allowing the dance practitioner to expand their knowledge and creative expression in storytelling through the gestures of the hands, eyes, head, neck, and divine sentiment. Revital shares her embodied wisdom in a way that is holistic, lighthearted, and accessible.”
September 18th – November 20th, 2020
Ten consecutive Fridays, 10 AM-Noon, Pacific Time
20 hours of online classes plus 10 hours of home study
In this ten-week course, you will learn the complete set of applications (viniyoga) of Indian dance hand gestures as described in the Abhinaya Darpana, and much more!
“There is a lot of clarity in Revital’s teaching. She’s knowledgeable, has done her research, and got information from traditional sources. She delivers what was promised - all the viniyogas, and provide all the material and learning tools. What I enjoyed were the homework’s, getting some unique perspectives on mudras, and their traditional use beyond dance. When you spend time thinking about mudras - your relationship with your hands changes and so is how mudras, facial expressions, and neck and head movements complement each other when expressing something. It was fun!”
“This course felt like learning another language and opening a portal into a whole other potential of expression! I loved making sentences and stories with mudras. Your explanations were so beautiful!”
Course Includes:
Applications and uses of the 52 mudras of the Abhinaya Darpana.
Extra mudras of dance: additional 35 dance mudras from later regional texts.
Detailed handouts for each session.
Complimentary study videos to follow for your home practice.
Personal one-on-one feedback and interaction between sessions.
FREE access to the recordings of all course sessions (for a limited time).
FREE Poster of the 52 hand mudras of Classical Indian Dance (Free shipping within the USA)
Discount code for purchasing Mudras of Indian Dance Card Deck and Mudras of India Paperback
Eye movement, Head movements, and Neck movements, and how to combine them with the vocabulary of our hands and facial expression into a complete articulation of a story.
Bhava-Rasa Theory of Indian Arts, and how to combine with your hand mudras.
Special hand warmups and exercises to enhance your expressional capacity.
Reference to healing and spiritual uses of some gestures as applied in Yogic practice and Ayurveda.
Mythological and historical background of hand-mudra lore.
Optional home study guide and final project to earn a Certificate of Completion of the Mudras of Dance Master Course
MUD in Sanskrit means joy or bliss. Mud-ra (pronounced: Mood-Ra), means to bring forth joy, bliss, ecstatic mood. Hand Mudras are used in wisdom traditions around the world for healing, expression, and expanding consciousness. Hand Mudras are an essential part of Indian Dance, Yoga, Taoist practices, Buddhist meditation, and other spiritual traditions.
In dance, hand-mudras are used extensively for storytelling and to enhance the elegance and grace of our movements, amplify our emotional expression, and integrate form and energy.
Mudras hold the power to transform raw life-power into subtle spiritual expression. In Yoga and in dance they function to ‘spark’ energy transition toward spiritual consciousness and to express our depth.
“This workshop is amazing! If you’re looking to really dive deeply into Odissi dance, or if you simply want to learn to have a better connection to your hands, this is an absolute must! This class has completely shifted my understanding of the Odissi dance form. It has answered many of my questions but also raised so many new ones that I can now explore for hours with the knowledge that I’ve received. It has made me more confident in my hands and far more knowledgeable about storytelling than I was before. Now when I dance items I have a whole new understanding and connection to the Mudras that I didn’t have before, which makes the experience more enriching and expressive.
Revital is an amazing teacher, who has really compiled an in-depth class for her students. She shares her vast knowledge with an open mind and heart and is always willing to answer her students’ questions with care and attention. I couldn’t recommend this gem of a class more!”
Revital Carroll is an internationally acclaimed performer and teacher of Classical Indian Dance. She is the founder of Shakti Bhakti School of Dance, co-author of Mudras of India and the Mudras of Indian Dance Card Deck, and creator of three instructional DVDs: Temple Goddess Workout, Odissi Dance Foundations, and Odissi Dance Spins and Choreography. She studied traditional Odissi Dance in Odisha, India with some of the most eminent dance gurus on the subcontinent. Revital draws her inspiration from the elements of nature, the wisdom of her own body, and the rich spiritual heritage of India. She lives in Northern California and offers workshops and ritual-performances worldwide.
“When I took the Mudras of Dance Course with Revital Carroll I had not background in classical Indian dance or any professional dance form, and I was afraid I may feel like a fish out of water or that I may not be able to keep up with the class, but my desire to deepen my knowledge about mudras and their deeper meaning, and my love for Indian dance moved me to register. I am so glad I did! From the first class I knew I had come to the right place.
Revital is not only knowledgeable about the subject, but she is also an experienced beautiful, generous, and graceful dancer and teacher who is passionate about her craft, and who lives what she teaches. Revital created a safe, special, and sacred “virtual” place where we were able to be introduced (or to deepen for those who were familiar with them) to the mudras and to connect with their ancestral and deeper meanings and applications in dance.
Not only did I learn about the Mudras of Dance, but in doing so, I got a new appreciation, and inner sense of connection between my hands, my heart, and my mind. ”
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for both the beginner and advanced Indian Dance student-dancer-performer. It is packed with in-depth information regarding hand-gestures and their applications and usages, and provides you with effective exercises and practices to take your understanding of mudras to the next level!
Mudras of Dance Master Course is also suitable for dancers and performance artists of other modalities who would like to experience and develop an understanding of the eloquent art of creative expression through hand mudras.
“This is the practice of true integration (not memorization)”
“Your depth of knowledge of the classical Indian traditions is insane. I Love it!!! I first became aware of your dance work at the Temple Dance Festival, fall 2013, and thought since you are quite devoted to a disciplined dance tradition that I, as a wild garden dancer might feel stifled and overwhelmed but found that you are quite the opposite with your gentle nature and playful sense of humor in sharing your devotion to dance and feminine wisdom. Really appreciate all the love and care you put into this class and all your offerings. Much thanks!!”
“It was an unmissable course, very deep learning not only of mudras but of classical Indian culture and dance theory. Revital’s teaching style provides the development of students’ creativity. ”
“A Beautiful class that helped to get in deeper touch with my internal Goddess ”