ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ananda Shankar Jayant - Dancer and choreographer
With precision and sparkling grace, Ananda Shankar Jayant performs and teaches the classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

Why you should listen

Ananda Shankar Jayant is trained in two traditional forms of classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Both forms require long training and precise timing to express their essence -- and both forms, in Shankar Jayant's hands, are capable of exploring deep truths.

As a choreographer and performer, she uses dance to talk about gender issues (as in 1999's What About Me?), mythology and philosophy, setting these carefully handed-down forms of dance onto a modern stage. She leads the Shankarananda Kalakshetra school in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and is a scholar of dance and art, lecturing frequently on both throughout India.

More profile about the speaker
Ananda Shankar Jayant | Speaker | TED.com
TEDIndia 2009

Ananda Shankar Jayant: Fighting cancer with dance

Ananda Shankar Jayant se plesom bori protiv raka

Filmed:
806,887 views

Čuvenoj plesačici indijskog klasičnog plesa Anandi Shankar Jayant 2008. godine dijagnosticiran je rak. Kroz svoju intimnu priču ona govori ne samo o suočavanju s bolešću, već i o tome kako je plesala kroz svoje tegobe, a plesom dočarava i metaforu snage koja joj je pomogla.
- Dancer and choreographer
With precision and sparkling grace, Ananda Shankar Jayant performs and teaches the classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
(MusicGlazba)
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(Glazba)
00:58
[Sanskritsanskrt]
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[Sanskrt]
01:05
This is an odeOda to the mothermajka goddessBožica,
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Ovo je oda božici majci
01:07
that mostnajviše of us in IndiaIndija learnnaučiti when we are childrendjeca.
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oda koju većina nas u Indiji nauči još u djetinjstvu.
01:13
I learnednaučeno it when I was fourčetiri
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Ja sam je naučila s četiri godine
01:15
at my mother'smamin kneekoljeno.
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na majčinu koljenu.
01:20
That yeargodina she introduceduvedena me to danceples,
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Te godine majka me uvela u ples.
01:23
and thustako beganpočeo
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I tako je počela
01:25
my trystmogao rabiti with classicalklasične danceples.
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moja veza s klasičnim plesom.
01:28
SinceOd then -- it's been fourčetiri decadesdesetljeća now --
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Od tada -- prošla su već četiri desetljeća --
01:32
I've trainedobučen with the bestnajbolje in the fieldpolje,
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vježbala sam s najboljima u tom području,
01:34
performedizvedena acrosspreko the globeGlobus,
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plesala diljem zemaljske kugle,
01:36
taughtučio youngmladi and oldstar alikeslično,
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podučavala i mlade i stare,
01:39
createdstvorio, collaboratedsurađivao,
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stvarala, surađivala,
01:41
choreographedkoreografiju,
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radila na koreografiji,
01:43
and wovetkalo a richbogat tapestrytapiserija
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i tkala bogatu tapiseriju
01:45
of artistryumjetnost, achievementdostignuće and awardsnagrade.
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umjetnosti, postignuća i nagrada.
01:49
The crowningkruna gloryslava was in 2007,
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Kruna moje slave došla je 2007,
01:52
when I receivedprimljen this country'szemlje
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kad sam primila državnu nagradu,
01:54
fourthČetvrta highestnajviši civiliancivil awarddodijeliti, the PadmaKsenija ShriShri,
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četvrtu najvišu civilnu nagradu, Padmashri,
01:56
for my contributiondoprinos to artumjetnost.
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za svoj umjetnički doprinos.
01:58
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
02:02
But nothing, nothing preparedpripremljen me
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Ali ništa, baš ništa me nije pripremilo
02:05
for what I was to hearčuti
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na ono što mi je rečeno
02:08
on the first of JulySrpanj 2008.
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1. srpnja 2008.
02:11
I heardčuo the wordriječ "carcinomakarcinom."
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Čula sam riječ "karcinom".
02:14
Yes, breastgrudi cancerRak.
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Da, rak dojke.
02:17
As I satsat dumbstruckbez riječi in my doctor'sliječnika officeured,
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Dok sam skamenjeno sjedila u ordinaciji svog liječnika,
02:22
I heardčuo other wordsriječi:
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čula sam druge riječi,
02:24
"cancerRak," "stagefaza," "graderazred."
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"rak", "stadij", "stupanj".
02:27
UntilDo then, CancerRak was the zodiacZodijak
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Dotada je rak bio horoskopski
02:29
signznak of my friendprijatelj,
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znak mog prijatelja,
02:31
stagefaza was what I performedizvedena on,
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pozornica (stadij) je bilo mjesto na kojemu sam plesala,
02:34
and gradesrazreda were what I got in schoolškola.
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a ocjene (stupanj) su bile ono što sam dobivala u školi.
02:39
That day, I realizedshvatio
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Toga dana sam ustanovila
02:41
I had an unwelcomenepoželjne, uninvitednepozvani,
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da imam neželjenog, nezvanog,
02:44
newnovi life partnerpartner.
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novog životnog partnera.
02:47
As a dancerplesač,
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Kao plesačica,
02:49
I know the ninedevet rasasRasas or the navarasasnavarasas:
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poznajem devet rasa ili navarasa:
02:52
angerbijes, valorhrabrost,
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srdžbu, hrabrost,
02:54
disgustgađenje, humorhumor
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gađenje, humor
02:56
and fearstrah.
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i strah.
02:58
I thought I knewznao what fearstrah was.
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Mislila sam da znam što je strah.
03:00
That day, I learnednaučeno what fearstrah was.
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Tog dana, upoznala sam strah.
03:04
OvercomePrevladati with the enormitygnusoba of it all
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Svladana strahotom svega toga
03:07
and the completepotpun feelingosjećaj of lossgubitak of controlkontrolirati,
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i potpunim osjećajem gubitka kontrole,
03:09
I shedšupe copiousobilne tearssuze
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prolila sam brojne suze
03:11
and askedpitao my deardraga husbandsuprug, JayantJayant.
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i zapitala svog dragog muža Jayanta.
03:14
I said, "Is this it? Is this the endkraj of the roadcesta?
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Rekla sam, "Je li to to? Je li ovo kraj puta?
03:17
Is this the endkraj of my danceples?"
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Je li to kraj mog plesa?"
03:20
And he, the positivepozitivan soulduša that he is,
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A on je, optimističan kakav jest,
03:23
said, "No, this is just a hiatusbjelina,
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rekao, "Ne, ovo je samo prekid,
03:26
a hiatusbjelina duringza vrijeme the treatmentliječenje,
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prekid za vrijeme liječenja,
03:28
and you'llvi ćete get back to doing what you do bestnajbolje."
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a ti ćeš poslije toga ponovno raditi ono što ti najbolje ide."
03:32
I realizedshvatio then
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Tada sam otkrila
03:34
that I, who thought I had completepotpun controlkontrolirati of my life,
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da ja koja sam vjerovala da imam kontrolu nad svojim životom,
03:37
had controlkontrolirati of only threetri things:
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kontroliram samo tri stvari:
03:40
My thought, my mindum --
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Svoju misao, svoju svijest --
03:43
the imagesslika that these thoughtsmisli createdstvorio --
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slike koje su te misli stvarale --
03:45
and the actionakcijski that derivedizveden from it.
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i postupke koji su iz toga proizlazili.
03:48
So here I was wallowingpliva
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I tako sam se koprcala
03:50
in a vortexvrtlog of emotionsemocije
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u vrtlogu osjećaja
03:52
and depressiondepresija and what have you,
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i depresije i svega što dolazi
03:54
with the enormitygnusoba of the situationsituacija,
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s užasom situacije,
03:57
wantingu nedostatku to go to a placemjesto of healingliječenje, healthzdravlje and happinesssreća.
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želeći otići na mjesto oporavka, zdravlja i sreće.
04:01
I wanted to go from where I was
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Željela sam otići s mjesta na kojem sam bila
04:03
to where I wanted to be,
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na mjesto gdje sam htjela biti,
04:05
for whichkoji I neededpotreban something.
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a za to sam trebala nešto.
04:08
I neededpotreban something that would pullVuci me out of all this.
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Trebala sam nešto što bi me izvuklo iz svega ovoga.
04:11
So I driedsuho my tearssuze,
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Zato sam obrisala suze,
04:13
and I declaredproglašen to the worldsvijet at largeveliki ...
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i objavila cijelom svijetu ...
04:16
I said, "Cancer'sRak only one pagestranica in my life,
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Rekla sam, "Rak je samo jedna stranica mog života,
04:19
and I will not allowdopustiti this pagestranica to impactudar the restodmor of my life."
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i neću joj dopustiti da utječe na ostatak mog života."
04:23
I alsotakođer declaredproglašen to the worldsvijet at largeveliki
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Također sam cijelom svijetu objavila
04:25
that I would ridevožnja it out,
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da ću izmoriti rak
04:27
and I would not allowdopustiti cancerRak to ridevožnja me.
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i neću mu dopustiti da upravlja mnome.
04:29
But to go from where I was
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Ali da bih otišla s mjesta na kojem sam bila
04:31
to where I wanted to be,
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na mjesto gdje sam htjela biti,
04:33
I neededpotreban something.
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trebala sam nešto.
04:35
I neededpotreban an anchorsidro, an imageslika,
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Neko sidro, sliku,
04:37
a pegklin
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klin
04:39
to pegklin this processpostupak on,
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koji bi me držao,
04:41
so that I could go from there.
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tako da se mogu izvući odatle.
04:44
And I foundpronađeno that in my danceples,
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Pronašla sam to u svom plesu,
04:48
my danceples, my strengthsnaga, my energyenergija, my passionstrast,
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svom plesu, svojoj snazi, svojoj energiji, svojoj strasti,
04:50
my very life breathdah.
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samom svojem životnom dahu.
04:53
But it wasn'tnije easylako.
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Ali nije bilo lako.
04:55
Believe me, it definitelydefinitivno wasn'tnije easylako.
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Vjerujte mi, uopće nije bilo lako.
04:58
How do you keep cheernavijačica
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Kako ostati vedra
05:00
when you go from beautifullijep
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kad se iz ljepotice
05:02
to baldćelav in threetri daysdana?
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u tri dana pretvoriš u ćelavicu?
05:05
How do you not despairočajavati
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Kako ne očajavati
05:08
when, with the bodytijelo ravagedrazorena by chemotherapykemoterapija,
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kad je, za tijelo poharano kemoterapijom,
05:11
climbingpenjanje a merepuki flightlet of stairsstepenice was sheerfin torturemučenje,
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uspon uz nekoliko stepenica bio jednak mučenju,
05:14
that to someonenetko like me who could danceples for threetri hourssati?
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i to za nekoga poput mene tko je mogao plesati po tri sata?
05:19
How do you not get overwhelmedosvaja
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Kako ne pokleknuti
05:21
by the despairočajavati and the miseryjad of it all?
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pod očajem i jadom svega toga?
05:24
All I wanted to do was curlrotor up and weepplakati.
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Samo sam se željela sklupčati i plakati.
05:27
But I keptčuva tellingreći myselfsebe fearstrah and tearssuze
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Ali sam si nastavila govoriti kako su strah i suze
05:29
are optionsopcije I did not have.
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izbor koji zapravo nemam.
05:32
So I would dragkočnica myselfsebe into my danceples studiostudio --
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I zato bih se dovukla do svog plesnog studija,
05:35
bodytijelo, mindum and spiritduh -- everysvaki day into my danceples studiostudio,
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tijelo, um i duh, svakoga dana u svoj plesni studio,
05:38
and learnnaučiti everything I learnednaučeno
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i učila bih sve što sam naučila
05:40
when I was fourčetiri, all over again,
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s četiri godine, sve ispočetka,
05:42
reworkedprerađen, relearnedrelearned, regroupedprerasporediti.
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ponovno bih radila, učila, grupirala.
05:45
It was excruciatinglybolno painfulbolan, but I did it.
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Bilo je strahovito bolno, ali sam uspjela.
05:48
DifficultTeško.
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Teško.
05:51
I focusedusmjerena on my mudrasmudre,
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Usredotočila sam se na mudre,
05:54
on the imagerylik of my danceples,
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na slikovitost svog plesa,
05:56
on the poetrypoezija and the metaphormetafora
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na poetiku i metaforu
05:58
and the philosophyfilozofija of the danceples itselfsebe.
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i na filozofiju samog plesa.
06:00
And slowlypolako, I movedpomaknuto out
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I polako bih izlazila
06:02
of that miserablebijedan statedržava of mindum.
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iz onog jadnog stanja svijesti.
06:06
But I neededpotreban something elsedrugo.
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Ali trebalo mi je još nešto.
06:08
I neededpotreban something to go that extraekstra milemilja,
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Trebala sam nešto da bih učinila onaj jedan korak više.
06:11
and I foundpronađeno it in that metaphormetafora
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I našla sam to u metaforičkoj priči
06:13
whichkoji I had learnednaučeno from my mothermajka when I was fourčetiri.
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koju sam naučila od svoje majke kad sam imala četiri godine.
06:16
The metaphormetafora of MahishasuraMahishasura MardhiniMardhini,
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Metafora Mahishasura Mardhini,
06:19
of DurgaIvica.
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o Durgi.
06:21
DurgaIvica, the mothermajka goddessBožica, the fearlessneustrašivi one,
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Durga, božica majka, neustrašiva,
06:24
createdstvorio by the pantheonPanteon of HinduHindu godsbogovi.
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nastala u panteonu hinduističkih božanstava.
06:27
DurgaIvica, resplendentsvijetao, bedeckedbedecked, beautifullijep,
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Durga, blistava, nakićena, lijepa,
06:31
her 18 armsoružje
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sa svojih 18 ruku
06:33
readyspreman for warfareratovanje,
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spremna za bitke,
06:35
as she rodeRode astridejašući her lionLav
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dok jaše na svom lavu
06:38
into the battlefieldbojno polje to destroyuništiti MahishasurMahishasur.
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prema bojištu kako bi uništila Mahishu.
06:42
DurgaIvica, the epitomesadrzaj
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Durga, utjelovljenje
06:44
of creativekreativan feminineženski energyenergija,
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kreativne ženske energije
06:46
or shaktiShakti.
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shakti.
06:48
DurgaIvica, the fearlessneustrašivi one.
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Durga, neustrašiva.
06:50
I madenapravljen that imageslika of DurgaIvica
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Stvorila sam sliku Durge
06:52
and her everysvaki attributeatribut, her everysvaki nuancenijansa,
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i svake njene osobine, svake nijanse,
06:54
my very ownvlastiti.
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svojom vlastitom.
06:56
PoweredPower PC by the symbologysimbologiju of a mythmit
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Snagom mitske simbolike
06:59
and the passionstrast of my trainingtrening,
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i strasti svojeg vježbanja,
07:02
I broughtdonio laser-sharpLaser-oštar focusfokus into my danceples,
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u svoj ples sam unijela vrhunsku koncentraciju.
07:05
laser-sharpLaser-oštar focusfokus to suchtakav an extentopseg
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Izoštrenu do te mjere,
07:07
that I dancedplesala a fewnekoliko weeksTjedni after surgerykirurgija.
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da sam plesala nekoliko tjedana nakon operacije.
07:10
I dancedplesala throughkroz chemokemoterapija and radiationradijacija cyclesciklusa,
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Plesala sam kroz kemoterapiju i zračenja,
07:13
much to the dismayUžas of my oncologistonkolog.
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na užas svog onkologa.
07:16
I dancedplesala betweenizmeđu chemokemoterapija and radiationradijacija cyclesciklusa
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Plesala sam između ciklusa kemoterapija i zračenja
07:18
and badgeredUpitan him to fitodgovara it
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i gnjavila ga da ih prilagodi
07:20
to my performingobavljanje danceples scheduleraspored.
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mojem rasporedu plesnih nastupa.
07:25
What I had doneučinio
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Ono što sam napravila
07:27
is I had tunedtuned out of cancerRak
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jest to da sam se isključila iz raka
07:29
and tunedtuned into my danceples.
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i povezala sa svojim plesom.
07:33
Yes, cancerRak has just been one pagestranica in my life.
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Da, rak je bio samo jedna stranica mog života.
07:38
My storypriča
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Moja priča
07:40
is a storypriča of overcomingPrevladavanje setbackszastojima,
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je priča o svladavanju prepreka,
07:42
obstaclesprepreke and challengesizazovi
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smetnji i izazova
07:44
that life throwsbaca at you.
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koje vam život postavlja.
07:46
My storypriča is the powervlast of thought.
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Moja priča je moć misli,
07:49
My storypriča is the powervlast of choiceizbor.
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Moja priča je moć izbora.
07:52
It's the powervlast of focusfokus.
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Moć koncentracije.
07:54
It's the powervlast of bringingdonošenje ourselvessebe
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Moć usmjeravanja vlastite pažnje
07:57
to the attentionpažnja of something that so animatesoživljava you,
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nečemu što nas tako pokreće,
08:00
so movespotezi you,
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što nas tako pomakne,
08:02
that something even like cancerRak becomespostaje insignificantbeznačajan.
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da čak i nešto poput raka postaje nebitno.
08:05
My storypriča is the powervlast of a metaphormetafora.
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Moja priča je snaga metafore.
08:07
It's the powervlast of an imageslika.
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Snaga slike.
08:09
MineMoj was that of DurgaIvica,
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Moja je bila slika Durge,
08:11
DurgaIvica the fearlessneustrašivi one.
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Durge - neustrašive.
08:14
She was alsotakođer calledzvao SimhanandiniSimhanandini,
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Zvali su je i Simhanandini,
08:16
the one who rodeRode the lionLav.
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ona koja jaše lava.
08:20
As I ridevožnja out,
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Dok ja jašem dalje,
08:22
as I ridevožnja my ownvlastiti innerunutrašnji strengthsnaga,
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dok jašem na svojoj vlastitoj unutrašnjoj snazi,
08:24
my ownvlastiti innerunutrašnji resilienceelastičnost,
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svojoj unutrašnjoj izdržljivosti,
08:26
armednaoružani as I am with what medicationliječenje can providepružiti
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naoružana onim što lijekovi mogu dati
08:29
and continuenastaviti treatmentliječenje,
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i dok nastavljam liječenje,
08:31
as I ridevožnja out into the battlefieldbojno polje of cancerRak,
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dok jašem na bojno polje raka,
08:33
askingtraži my rogueskitnica cellsStanice to behaveponašati,
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naređujući svojim odmetnutim stanicama da budu dobre,
08:38
I want to be knownznan not as a cancerRak survivorpreživjeli,
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želim biti poznata, ne kao ona koja je preživjela rak,
08:41
but as a cancerRak conquerorosvajač.
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nego kao ona koja je pobijedila rak.
08:43
I presentpredstaviti to you an excerptizvadak iz of that work
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Ovo je dio mog rada
08:45
"SimhanandiniSimhanandini."
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"Simhanandini."
08:48
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
08:51
(MusicGlazba)
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(Glazba)
15:24
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ananda Shankar Jayant - Dancer and choreographer
With precision and sparkling grace, Ananda Shankar Jayant performs and teaches the classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

Why you should listen

Ananda Shankar Jayant is trained in two traditional forms of classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Both forms require long training and precise timing to express their essence -- and both forms, in Shankar Jayant's hands, are capable of exploring deep truths.

As a choreographer and performer, she uses dance to talk about gender issues (as in 1999's What About Me?), mythology and philosophy, setting these carefully handed-down forms of dance onto a modern stage. She leads the Shankarananda Kalakshetra school in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and is a scholar of dance and art, lecturing frequently on both throughout India.

More profile about the speaker
Ananda Shankar Jayant | Speaker | TED.com