Nava rasas

Nava rasas, also known as the nine emotions or nine moods, refer to a set of feelings expressed in performing arts such as Indian classical dance, music, and theatre.

Imagine you have nine different colored balls. Each ball represents a different emotion. When you perform, you use each ball to express the corresponding emotion.

The nine rasas are:

1. Shringara (love or romantic)

2. Hasya (comical or humorous)

3. Karuna (pathetic or empathetic)

4. Raudra (anger or furious)

5. Veera (heroic or brave)

6. Bhayanaka (terrifying or scary)

7. Vibhatsya (disgusting or revolting)

8. Adbhuta (wonder or magical)

9. Shanta (peaceful or calm)

Now, when you perform, your aim is to connect with the audience emotionally through your actions, expressions, and movements. You want to bring them on the same journey you are on and help them understand and feel the emotions you are expressing.

For example, let's take Shringara. If you are performing a dance about a love story, you want the audience to feel the love and passion that the characters are experiencing. You may use graceful movements of your hands, facial expressions, and postures to convey the feeling of being in love.

Similarly, if you are performing Raudra, which is anger, you may use fast, sharp movements and strong facial expressions to express the feeling of anger towards injustice, betrayal, or any other situation.

In summary, Nava rasas refer to a set of emotions expressed in performing arts, each with its own physical and emotional expression. The aim of performing arts is to evoke an emotional response from the audience, and these emotions help bring the story to life.