Myriad poses come together

Shaivam’, a dance performance by Padmaja Suresh and her troupe, was recently held at the CMR NPS Auditorium. The recital was so titled because it was conducted as a tribute to Lord Shiva, and his many aspects. Padmaja Suresh is a talented bharatanatyam dancer who specialises in the Tanjore style.

The recital was attended by many students of the school, and the atmosphere before the curtains were drawn was one of hushed anticipation. It began with a short speech on the nature of Shaivism as a religious branch, after which the guest of honour for the event, Professor Jaya, a performing artiste and head of the department of performing arts at Jain University, was welcomed.

After this, Padmaja Suresh took the stage. She introduced the orchestra for the event, which included Balasubramaniam Sharma, Shree Hari, H S Venugopal and S Ramachandran. She also introduced the audience to her troupe of disciples, who performed separately. They included Vaishali, Shreya, Sandhya, Vijayalakshmi and Christina.

The dance recital began with a few thiru mantiram shlokas, which mainly depict the yogic postures of the various Natarajans, as well as Shiva’s wife, goddess Parvathi.

The stage was decked with a large model of a lotus, as well as a shiva lingam which was decked with flowers and other ornaments. Padmaja Suresh stood behind the lingam, holding a classic pose which is associated with Nataraja.

She then circled the lingam, striking a few poses along the way, to the delight of the audience which had assembled at the auditorium. After performing the traditional namaskaram, she began the dance, which was a treat to the eye. It included many fearsome expressions, and at one point, she depicted an imaginary bow and arrow.

It ended with the repeated chant of Om Namaha Shivaya.

The performance also included a piece which was performed exclusively by her disciples. This piece was originally a part of a temple ritual, and was composed and choreographed in praise of Natesha. It also included the chanting of many sacred rudra mantras, which worship Lord Shiva. Dressed in bright colours and decked with plenty of jewellery, her disciples took the stage and performed gracefully, impressing one and all. The dance included many classic steps, poses and elaborate footwork.