Welcome to our Facial Expressions in Dance Masterclass!
Master the art of expression in dance under the guidance of the radiant and accomplished Kathak exponent and educator, Shreeyaa Popat. This masterclass is meticulously designed to help you unlock the true power of facial expressions—a vital element in delivering performances that resonate with depth and emotion. Through this journey, you’ll discover how to convey a spectrum of emotions with authenticity, bringing life and intensity to each movement. Whether you’re an experienced dancer, a beginner, or simply passionate about the nuances of expressive art, this masterclass will refine your ability to connect deeply with your audience, transforming your performances into compelling stories.
Join us to immerse yourself in this transformative experience, where dance meets profound emotional expression.
What You’ll Learn?
In this dynamic masterclass, you’ll embark on an immersive journey into the art of facial expressions in dance, blending practical exercises with rich theoretical insights. Designed to deepen your emotional range and storytelling ability, the masterclass guides participants through the techniques and subtleties that make expressions impactful and authentic.
Through hands-on activities, you’ll learn to harness facial expressions to convey emotions with precision and intensity, bringing greater depth and meaning to your performances. Each lesson is carefully crafted to enhance your connection with the audience, helping you create moments that resonate and leave a lasting impression. From mastering the basics of expression to understanding the interplay of emotions, you’ll gain invaluable tools that will transform the way you perform and engage, giving you the confidence to embody any character or emotion on stage.
This masterclass is more than just a lesson in technique—it’s an opportunity to elevate your artistry and become a storyteller through every movement.
Course Outline: Navrasa Theory
The Navrasa Theory is the cornerstone of expressive dance, rooted in the ancient text of the Natyashastra, which outlines the nine fundamental emotions or “Rasas” that form the basis of emotive performance. This theory holds that each Rasa reflects a unique facet of human experience—love, joy, compassion, anger, courage, fear, disgust, wonder, and peace—and together, they form a complete spectrum of emotional expression. In this masterclass, we’ll explore the following topics:
- What is Rasa
- Origin of Navrasa
- Significance of Navrasa
- How to Integrate & Transition Between Rasas
The Nine Rasas –
- Shringara
- Hasya
- Karuna
- Raudra
- Veera
- Bhayanaka
- Bibhatsa
- Adbhuta
- Shanta
In this masterclass, you’ll learn how to master the nine Rasas, not just in isolation but in how they transition and interplay with one another to create a rich, emotional experience in your dance. Understanding these emotions will allow you to convey deeper narratives and connect with your audience on a profound level.
Bhaava and its classification
- What is Bhaava?
- Difference between Rasa & Bhaava
- Types of Bhaava –
Sthayi Bhaava, Sanchari Bhaava, Satvika Bhaava, Vibhava & Anubhaava
Bhaav and its classification is essential to creating layered, nuanced performances that appear real and natural. Each type holds a specific role in deepening the storytelling within dance, acting as vessels that carry the narrative forward and infuse authenticity into every gesture and movement. This masterclass will guide you through each of these types, delving into their significance and role in choreography. Through interactive activities and exercises, we’ll explore how to thoughtfully incorporate Bhaava into performances, allowing you to harness these emotions to enrich your storytelling and bring depth to your dance.
Role of Breath in Emotions
Breath is the essence of life and a powerful tool for expressing emotions. In this masterclass, we will explore specific breathing techniques and patterns that help convey emotional depth and authenticity in dance. Breath control enhances your ability to seamlessly transition between emotions, creating a more profound connection with your audience. Through focused exercises, this masterclass will demonstrate how breath can be harnessed as an essential tool, amplifying both expression and presence in every movement. Mastering these techniques will add a new layer of intensity and realism to your performances, elevating your craft.
- Breathing Techniques
- Significance of Breath Control
Character Study
Mastering character study goes beyond simply knowing a character; it requires a deep dive into the character’s world, understanding their backstory, motivations, and personality traits. We involve engaging in specific activities designed to help you explore and embody the character in every way possible.
- How to Identify Character
- How to Study the Character
- How to Step Into the Character
- How to Perform the Character
Emotional Transitions
Seamless emotional transitions are vital in dance, where shifts between emotions must match the pace of the music and choreography. By understanding emotional arcs and building a sensory connection to emotions, we transition naturally, whether the shift is slow or sudden.Techniques like breath control help anchor emotions, while clarifying intention supports authentic shifts. Physical adjustments in posture, gestures, and facial expressions further enhance these transitions, making them cohesive and expressive. We’ll also practice selecting and ordering emotions to align with the dance’s story, ensuring every transition feels intentional and impactful.
Multiple Characters as a Soloist
As a soloist portraying multiple characters, it’s essential to distinguish each role with clarity and depth, ensuring each character is authentic and fully realized. In this masterclass, we focus on techniques to help performers shift between roles seamlessly. This involves defining distinct physical cues, gestures, and expressions for each character, as well as identifying emotional triggers to switch roles effectively. We’ll practice timing each transition, building an internal “cue” system that tells the performer when to switch, ensuring every character shift feels intentional and easy for the audience to follow.
Building a Narrative
Building a compelling narrative in dance mirrors the process of creating a film screenplay. In this masterclass, we teach how to structure a storyline that is clear and engaging, starting with writing a plot that includes character arcs, motivations, and relationships. We explore techniques for building tension and providing resolution to make the narrative emotionally satisfying. Additionally, we guide you in choosing music that enhances the story’s tone, selecting visual elements such as costumes and lighting, and choreographing movements that convey themes and emotions.
Decoding Lyrics & Music
Decoding lyrics and literature in dance involves a deep dive into themes, characters, and the emotions embedded within the text, understanding the writer’s perspective, coming up with various interpretations of the literature. This masterclass uses engaging activities to emphasize the importance of knowing the literature thoroughly—whether it’s individual words, sentences, or entire paragraphs—until it feels second nature. Together, we explore different types of literature, learning to interpret each piece. We then practice choosing movement and expressions that authentically reflect the text’s essence and emotional undertones. You also learn to select stories that align well with the chosen literature.
Expression Vocabulary
Expanding expression vocabulary means learning to convey emotions through a wide range of facial expressions, upper body movements, and hand gestures, giving performers multiple ways to express each feeling. In this masterclass, we use dynamic activities to explore subtle and exaggerated expressions, discovering various ways to embody emotions based on context. By practicing different techniques for each topic, you develop a rich vocabulary for expressing emotions, allowing you to select the most fitting expression for any given moment.
Improvisation Techniques
Improvisation in dance is about balancing spontaneity with the precision of rehearsed movement, allowing for authentic and expressive storytelling. In this masterclass, we emphasize the importance of trusting one’s instincts and embracing creative freedom through guided exercises. We provide practical tips and structured activities that help you unlock natural impulses, fostering a sense of confidence in the ability to respond instinctively. Through these improvisation techniques, learn to develop fluid, in-the-moment movements.
Facial Muscle Exercises
This masterclass emphasizes that true mastery of expression requires precise control over facial muscles—without it, even the best techniques remain just theory. That’s why we dedicate time to detailed facial muscle exercises, helping you build strength, flexibility, and control in each muscle group. Through targeted practice, you learn to engage or relax specific muscles, enabling you to deliver nuanced, authentic expressions that bring depth and clarity to your performance.
Choreograph your independent expression routine
In this masterclass, rather than teaching a set routine, we empower you to create your own choreography on the spot using techniques we explore together. By learning core principles and “formulas” for crafting expressive movements and sequences, you gain the tools to independently develop routines inspired by popular Hindi literature. This approach not only fosters creativity and confidence but also provides skills that remain with you, allowing you to build original choreography long after the masterclass ends.
This masterclass is perfect for dancers, students, and enthusiasts aged 16 and above, regardless of their dance experience. Whether you’re looking to deepen your emotional expression in dance or are simply curious about the intricate connection between emotion and movement, this masterclass is designed for you.
This program is designed for classical dancers, dancers of all genres, professional dancers, dance students, and dance teachers who want to deepen their understanding of emotions in performance. However, it is also open to other artists—actors, writers, singers—or anyone interested in exploring emotions more deeply. Even if you are not an artist, but are curious about the study of emotions, therapists, psychologists, and anyone intrigued by this area are warmly welcome to join
- Detailed Theory Notes: Comprehensive resources on Navrasa theory.
- Lyrics Sheet: English and Hindi versi
- Ons of the literature explored in the masterclass
- Certificate of Completion: Official recognition of your participation, signed by Shreeyaa Popat.
- Basic understanding of the Hindi language.
- Familiarity with Hindi songs
About Us
- Services
- Book a concert
- Join a class
- Join an online class
- Facial expressions workshop
COntact US
- +91 93720 74133
- info@shreeyaapopat.in
- B wing/Gala Number106, 1st floor, Mandapeshwar Industrial Estate, opposite MCF Club, Prem Nagar, Borivali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400092
