There is hardly any need to give an introduction of Boris Eifman, an outstanding choreographer, a subtle master who speaks a perfect language of gestures and movement. The ballet theatre headed by him for 25 years is well-known not only in Russia but in the whole world. During its very first tour of America American media called Eifman world's leading ballet-master. Eifman is a winner of all the prestigious Russian theatre awards, he is People's Artist of Russia.

However his dialogue with students and teachers of the Saint Petersburg Centre of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University on 28 July 2002 throws light over a new unusual side of Eifman's personality. This perhaps is a unique feature of the Spiritual University in which they meet you not just as a professional in a particular field but as a personality possessing his or her own inner world, vision, dreams and aspirations.

"I am not a philosopher. I am a choreographer", Boris Eifman repeated a number of times while meeting the students. However the thoughts he shared are surely the thoughts of a deep philosopher who has acquired rich experience in his life and his art. This is why his words resonate with the ideas of the Spiritual University shared during the dialogue by Didi Santosh, Director General of the Brahma Kumaris in Saint Petersburg, having more than 25 years of experience of spiritual self-development and service to people.

Boris Eifman: My life in arts has been always led by a desire to combine spiritual and material dimensions. Dance is a unique art in which a body that is normally considered the source of everything material, conducts information directly from soul to soul, from heart to heart. The art of dance is an instrument of communication on a higher spiritual level. Although spectators see a moving body but this moving body carries absolutely new deep spiritual information.

I have always seen my destination in front of myself. Even at the age of 13 I already knew I would become a choreographer. A happy person is the one who has understood himself and knows why he has come to this world and what his mission here is. For me reaching the destination is not just developing professional skills but also self-development. Because if you consider yourself to be a medium of higher spiritual energy the channels through which this energy works must be clean. This requires many years of spiritual and physical development.

Happiness is when you consider yourself to be a creator. The Creator is one but we, residents of this earth, can either come close or get distant from the act of creation. When I enter a ballet hall and start creating and feel that I succeed in creating my own world, the happiness I experience cannot be described in words. This happiness is known to everyone who creates, that is communicates with God.

I am not a philosopher. I am a choreographer. It's very difficult to explain our art through words. The issues of Love, Hatred and Life are explained through my art, not through words. They are understood through silence rather than through noise.

Maybe it was Dostoyevsky who said that one cannot love humanity, one can love a human being. It is a very wise saying. We have to have a look at those near to us. In fact we should start with ourselves!

I am an admirer of silence. As time passes I feel more need to accumulate inner energy. When you speak you give. When you are in silence you get. And I feel I need accumulating more and more...

Didi Santosh: Your body has been given to you by your parents. My body has been given to me by my parents. In this sense our creators are different. However it is the Supreme Creator that gives us Love, Courage, Determination, Wisdom, and Enthusiasm. A combination of all these virtues is a soul. A human being is a soul that uses this body as an instrument. If we realise that the body is an instrument given to us by God we use it for the benefit of others.

At the age of 13 or 14 I saw pictures of Russia, St. Petersburg and its bridges in some book. And I immediately understood I had already been there and I would be there once again. You are teaching others the art of dancing and maintaining the harmony of the body. My mission is teaching the harmony of life, the harmony of souls. Since childhood I've had a deep desire to see the time when people would no longer speak of "my country" and "alien country" and would come to know that they are souls, children of the Supreme, one global family.

It is determination and clear vision of the future given by God that has always helped me to go ahead in my life. God, our Supreme Teacher says, "Once this land was Heaven, the land of happiness. You must help Me in its revival". When a soul establishes a love-link with the Supreme Creator and dedicates its life to serving Him and recreating the land of happiness, the soul can be truly happy.

The Creator is given a beautiful title, the Seed. A seed is always incognito but the tree that grows from it is visible and it brings benefit to others. People see what you have created. You reveal yourself through your creation. This is the language of a creator. It is the creation that speaks about its creator.

You love silence and silence is one of the main subjects taught in this institution. The main principle of the Brahma Kumaris University is transformation of the world through self-transformation.

After the dialogue a vegetarian breakfast was served that features life-style of the Spiritual University students - absolute non-violence.
This year is a special one for Boris Eifman. Didi Santosh extended him hearty greetings on the occasion of the silver jubilee of his theatre. The students of the Spiritual University are happy to join in extending their best wishes.

Dear Boris Yakovlevich, please accept hearty wishes of success in your creative life and spiritual service to people!