Divine Energy

Dance is a celebration of divine energy and recognition of its presence in all other beings; an expression of reverence towards goodwill that emanates from each soul. Odissi, one of India’s classical dance forms, traces its origin to the Natya Shastra. Shiva, the lord of dance and a consummate yogi, sent his disciple Tandu to reveal the secrets of this lyrical and graceful form to Bharat Muni, who subsequently wrote the Natya Shastra. Nataraja represents Shiva performing the vigorous ananda tandava, or dance of Creation. The idea of the universe as a dance of dynamic energy and all life as its manifestation is convincingly captured in a bronze figurine of Nataraja. Dance is a metaphor for effectively channelising one’s Divine Energy, balancing vigour and grace. When synchronised with tala, rhythm, the effect of movement, both for the dancer and audience, is that of great pleasure. An enduring theme in Odissi is the longing of a lover (the devotee) to reunite with the beloved (the Divine), as typified by Radha and Krishna. A crescendo of complex patterns and fullness of emotions overwhelm both the dancer and the audience. Tandava and lasya are the two facets of Odissi. Tandava includes strong, solid and firm movements, while lasya refers to the more lyrical, graceful and fluid style. They are deemed to represent the masculine and feminine aspects of life, respectively. Just as Shiva adopts the form of the Ardhanarishwar, or halfman, half-woman, dance pays homage to both instincts present in all beings throughout the universe

Source: Economic Times, 12/09/2018