From Dance to Veda – with Leslie Freyberg

Leslie Freyberg has been a professional dancer for 18 years and likens reciting Veda to dance, saying she feels like her mouth dances when she recites mantras.

By Sophia Ann French

The Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme 2024 ends in November, and at present, all the students are reciting 10 minutes of Veda mantras to celebrate the completion of the course. These 10 minutes of recitation can be called an “exam” but anyone attending one of these “exams” will be surprised to see that nobody fails; every student in class roots for the other, and we celebrate our learnings while keeping an open mind about where we still need improvement and refinement. When US-based Leslie Freyberg recited her 10-minute exam, she was so immersed in the recitation that she began to sway to the mantra, and the entire class was swaying in joy with her light-hearted recitation. Reciting Veda is a practice of stillness, but somehow, the gentle joy of movement that Leslie brought to her recitation felt calming, and she had a sense of stillness despite the movement. During this interview, I wasn’t surprised that Leslie has been a professional dancer. Rhythm is inherent to her, but dancing is only one aspect of her creative repertoire. She’s been a puppeteer, a yoga teacher, and a Sanskrit teacher. At present, she is training to teach Veda with Shantala Sriramaiah. From dancing to Veda and from a lifetime of learning Sanskrit to relearning it while reciting Veda, Leslie’s spiritual and creative journeys have always intersected. She celebrates this union with a perfect balance of following the rules but also adding her unique touch to Veda recitation. Excerpts from our conversation:

From Dance to Veda

Leslie Freyberg: I had a very Western, American upbringing. I went to college and became a dancer, and I was a modern dancer in New York for about 18 years. I joined a dance company founded by Joseph Campbell and his wife Jean Erdman,  and Jean Erdman had danced in one of Martha Graham’s original dance companies. Jean’s choreography was inspired by her husband, Joseph. He was a renowned mythologist and seemed particularly taken by Buddhism and Indian purāṇas. I attended some of his lectures and remember his pronunciation of Buddha. It was the first time I had heard anyone intentionally give weight to the ‘dha’ in Buddha. And I thought, ‘Why is he talking like that?’ That struck me and just stays with me to this day. I also worked with puppeteer Eric Bass. He was inspired by Indian purāṇas and used tales from the Pañcatantra in the puppetry, and that was another significant Indian influence. So I had these impressions of Indic culture from the fables from India, and the music and dance… So, in my late 30s, when I stopped dancing professionally, I went to yoga because I enjoyed the movement. My first influential yoga teacher was Mary Dunn. She was a senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, and after my first class with her, I came out feeling exhausted, but I was still drawn to the Iyengar yoga system. At that time, I attended a weekend workshop with Vyass Huston, the founder of the American Sanskrit Institute, and that began my exploration of Sanskrit. During all these years, I have been chanting various mantras and have always been drawn to chanting. I love Sanskrit. I also attended the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram Teacher Training for chanting. A few years ago, I met Bob Gilbo, a well-known yoga philosophy teacher who told me about Shantala. So, I signed up for the Veda Studies Foundation course, and I’ve been studying with her since. 

Veda Integrates Spiritual Practices

Leslie Freyberg: I understand the importance of asana practice in moving from the gross to the subtle. When I think of yoga postures, I also think of how they can free my voice. It affects our posture, how we sit, and whether or not we are slouching…. To recite the Veda or meditate, we need proper posture. Reciting Veda has made me more mindful of how I deal with relationships; I have changed my dietary habits and learned to give away things. We accumulate so much, and I am unloading stuff I have collected by giving away what I don’t need. This practice came to me from the Śani Vrata course I am studying with Shantala. Reciting Veda has made me more aware of my good and bad habits and gives me the clarity and freedom to create the desired changes. 

The Art and Practicalities of Teaching Veda

Leslie Freyberg:  When I teach Veda formally, I want to feel confident about explaining its nuances. For example, take the word Śrāddha. I always thought it meant faith. But after reciting the Śrāddha Sūktam, I know it also means conviction. Shantala gives us the time and freedom to explore the language and points out that some words are difficult to translate. So, to teach, one has to know these nuances very well to answer questions and inform our students. I love that Shantala allows us to go to this place of not knowing as well so we can contemplate the translations and meaning of a mantra. 

“India is Work”

Leslie Freyberg: I’ve been to India twice, and if someone asks me what India is like, I would say, ‘India is work.’ On my first trip, I studied at the Iyengar Institute in Pune, and on my second trip, I was in Chennai. I come from America, and we take many things for granted; in the West, we follow rules. In India, I saw camels, dogs, and elephants on the street; everywhere was crowded, and yet, in all the chaos, there was reverence for and a focus on the divine. 

Words of Advice

Leslie Freyberg: You can’t tell someone to love something. You either love it or you don’t. If someone is curious about Veda, I would ask them to try it. Sign up for the Veda Studies Foundation course… attend the free community sessions…, and if you’re drawn to it, just do it. I’m grateful for all my teachers who led me to this point. In addition to the ones I already mentioned, I would like to mention Prof. Ram Karan Sharma, ​Sonia Nelson, and Deborah Kuryan. 

To get in touch with Leslie, you can reach her at [email protected]