Jyoti Kala Mandir Founder/ Director Guru Jyoti Rout

rhythms, I tell her it’s a waste of her time and my time. I’m not interested in that." Oakland Tribune 1 April 2005

"While some forms of Western dance require dancers to be of a certain age and body type, in Indian dance, the maturity and emotional depth that come with age make the dancers perform better. An 80-year old can dance a lot better than a 20-year old." Bay Area Living 14 July 2003

"Along with discipline, dancers must simplify their lives. Indian dance, because it is so spiritual, teaches one to be strong and to shed what is unimportant in life." Bay Area Living 14 July 2003

"The dance itself is a spiritual practice. You have to be in touch with your feelings, your mind, body and soul at once. You have to be balanced." Oakland Tribune 1 April 2005

"At Jyoti Kala Mandir, the students are exposed to an opportunity to connect with their inner self and spirituality, thereby gaining self-confidence and the ability to mingle and interact with each other easily. The emphasis is on human life and its quality." India Post 19 September 2003

"Odissi starts on the inside. It travels through (the) medium of the body and mind, but then it goes beyond. It is directly connected to spirituality." The Garden Island 24 September 2003

"All of the universe is not big enough to hold all the love in my heart. I want everyone to be able to connect to this love and express themselves as individual artists, not a bunch of puppets doing my choreography and dancing in my style. I want them to be in touch with spirit so they can share it." The Garden Island 24 September 2003

"Many people say that they really see they really see spirit. That’s what really touches their hearts. Anytime someone performs who’s connected to spirit, all of the audience feels it. Even if they’re in the last corner seat in the last row, they feel like I am hugging them personally." The Garden Island 24 September 2003

"For myself, to obtain salvation (Mokshya) would be to come to earth as a dancer again and again to bring the message of peace through dance and other virtuous actions." The Taos News May 1998

"I try to tell my students to enjoy what they are doing. This is just a path. Think of where the path is taking you and go for as long as you can." India West March 1995

"You have to surrender yourself to the dance itself. The energy is not really in the movements, but it’s inside you and what comes out is the force behind the success of each performance." India West March 1995