Shivaarghya - Exploring the spirit behind masculine grace

Shivaarghya is the festival that celebrates the cosmic blend of the tandava and lasya roopas within every male dancer.  Late guru Saroja Vaidyanathan’s vision, that is being carried forward admirably by her daughter-in-law, the renowned dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, the event is dedicated to the male dancers of the Indian dance fraternity. The 2026 edition was a delightful array of performances in contrasting styles, varied themes and individual interpretations. From seasoned artists to up and coming ones, from chaste Bharatanatyam to free-flowing Indian contemporary dance, from classic tropes to abstract and thought provoking ones, the festival was a delightful potpourri of a carefully curated set of recitals; 19 enthusiastic artists  showcasing Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Sattriya, Odissi and Indian contemporary dance forms. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, the Executive and Academic Head of IGNCA, New Delhi inaugurated the event and spoke about the importance of festivals like Shivaarghya in keeping the current and future generations connected with our traditional dance forms.

Kathak

The first performance was by the trio of Gaurav Shridhar, Gaurav Javda, Harendrakumar Shankar. They performed a piece titled The Inbetween. Trained in the Jaipur gharana style, they aimed at depicting the state between beginnings and endings. It was an unconventional number that began with the three artists moving in tandem but at their own pace - like the three arms of the clock. One moving swifter than the other two and one of them being the slowest. With stoic expressions and managing the space on the stage skillfully (with live artists on the vocals and pakhawaj), they twirled around the stage independently, yet together, much like the world around us. There was a portion during the performance, when the three artists began communicating with each other through bols. It was invigorating and the finale with flowing chakkars ended in the three going back to the same clock-like configuration. The unique performance ended with a roaring applause from the audience.

Aditya Garud began his performance with Paran Judi Amad - a type of composition that brings together the masculine and feminine aspects of Kathak. Paran is a composition that takes the bols of the pakhawaj(an instrument that produces deeper, echoing sounds). Amad is a particular way of making an entry, mostly associated with the feminine bols of the tabla. These two contrasting aspects are brought together in the choreography of a Paran Judi Amad composition. The talented dancer from Mumbai, put his heart and soul into the execution of the complicated performance piece. He ably demonstrated the three types of chakras. The second piece was about the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage. The emotional and evocative composition was executed with grace and sincerity. The billowing white costume added to the beauty of the chakkars, especially during the finale and added to the charm of the overall performance.

Sushant Gaurav, a disciple of Birju Maharaj of the illustrious Lucknow gharana, moved on to training under the Pakistani Kathak guru Fasih-ur-Rehman of the lesser known Lahore gharana. Mastering both styles and blending them together, he performs in the Lucknow-Lahore gharana. He presented a tarana in raga Bhageshri with a poetic grace, earnestness and devotion. His effortless execution of chakkars in quick succession, smooth movements, subtle hand gestures made his performance an interesting watch.

Ravi Yadav’s performance was filled with passion and dedication. Performing to a Shiv stuti called Bhasam Bhushan Ang Siva, choreographed by his guru Rajendra Kumar Gagani, Ravi captured the attention of the audience with not only his crystal clear tatkars but also his abhinaya. His movements were inch-perfect, balance was impressive. Another piece, an excerpt from his own production Shore to Shore, was about Kabir Das’ philosophy. Ravi spoke to us through his intricate choreography about how truth prevails over everything in a materialistic world. There was an organic flow in his performance that spoke to the audience making it impactful. The most striking part of his performance was when he positioned a microphone to precisely capture and amplify the complex footwork/tatkars. The clapping of his feet came out with as much clarity as verbal articulation. Ravi demonstrated that an increase in tempo did not affect the clarity of his footwork. As the speed and intensity built up to a peak, they then gradually receded. The tempo and sound of the footwork tapered smoothly to silence. The audience remained still and attentive until the performance concluded, and then responded with warm applause.

Kuchipudi

Surya N Rao, an acclaimed dancer, choreographer and performer, presented three pieces in a brisk, effortless and graceful fashion. The first piece was Tyagaraja’s Ela ni dayaradu in Athana raga and Adi tala, followed by an ashtapadi by Jayadeva, Priye Charusheele. Following this was the kriti Ardhanareeswara in which his portrayal was clear, beautiful and unaffected. 

Odissi

Odissi artist, director and trainer, Rahul Varshney’s recital consisted of ‘Krishna Tandav’ and ‘Kaafi Pallavi’ choreographed by guru Durga Charan Ranbir. Excellent stance, flowing and gentle movements with wholesome grace and controlled execution were some of the many positive and appealing aspects of Rahul’s dance. His unhurried pace and emphasis on the symmetry of movements added to the appeal of his performance.

Coming from the rich lineage of guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Vishwanath Mangaraj, a dedicated Odissi artist performed Natha Hare, from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda. His abhinaya rich performance was marked with seasoned and subtle expressions. Delivered with simplicity and grace, Vishwanath’s performance was understated and elegant.

Rudraprasad Swain presented The Tale of Abhimanyu in raga-talamalika. An elaborate abhinaya piece, it provided ample scope for Rudraprasad to showcase his prowess in angika and satvika abhinaya. He did complete justice to the moving tale of the young prince. Beginning with Abhimanyu learning the technique of entering the chakravyuh, while in his mother’s womb, to his entering it in reality and fighting, Rudraprasad descriptively portrayed the events as well as Abhimanyu’s inner voice. An ensuing scene where the young warrior gets stuck inside the chakravyuh, fighting valiantly despite being attacked from all sides and his eventual collapse were enacted with complete conviction.

Sattriya

Hailing from a family of Sattriya artists, Partha Prathim Hazarika presented Ramdani Nach and Melan Nach. He began with Ramdani Nach which is typically performed at the beginning of a Satriyam performance. With symmetrical movements and a lot of silent hops, Partha appeared to be Krishna dancing merrily on the stage. His dance was characterised by noiseless nritta, complex hand gestures with smooth and fluid throws and bends of the arms and captivating eye movements. Partha presented the pristine and unique Sattriya dance form with unaffected sincerity and unpretentious passion.

Indian Contemporary Dance

Indian contemporary dancer and choreographer, Shubajit Khush Das, presented Manasa Katha - the story of the snake goddess Manasa. The performance narrated the difficulties faced by Manasa in attaining the status of a goddess amidst human beings, the conflicts and the eventual acceptance among mortals. Shubajit’s dance employed graceful wave-like movement of shoulders and arms with neat choreography. The creative use of drapes and other props to highlight the different characters in the mono-act of the mythological tale, made it interesting and easier for the audience to comprehend and enjoy the rhythmic storytelling. 

Bharatanatyam

Manish Kumar from Bangalore performed to a medley of Sree Vignarajam Bhaje, Madhava Maamava Deva and Pavamaana Jagadapraana. The familiar kritis provided a sense of comfort and Manish’s athletic and precise movements further made the performance interesting.

Nilava Sen’s decision to perform a single, grand piece, the Krishna Panchaka Mallari proved to be a smart one as it made his performance stand out for the right reasons. He could ably showcase his hold over the shifting nadais and tempos of a typical mallari composition. The sahityam taken from the verses of Kulasekhara Alvar’s Mukunda Mala, gave him ample scope to shift across the spectrum of emotions with his abhinayas. The mallari began with a brief, seemingly simple but captivating jati that merged seamlessly with the first verse - Chintayaami hari meva satatam. Rama Vaidyanathan’s choreography and the structure of the opening jati were especially beautiful as they shifted from Sankeerna nadai to misra to khanda to tisra nadais. With arm and leg movements of the choreography that seemed to have been visualised to create an effect of drawing geometrical patterns in air, Nilava’s pitch perfect execution elevated it. He flawlessly delivered the nritta part of the choreography with gazelle-like jumps, crisp but flowing movements of limbs, switching between vilamba, madhyama and dhurita kaalams and chatusra and tisra nadais. The performance concluded with Bhava-maru-parichinnah klesam adya tyajami - where he surrendered himself to Hari, the remover of all ‘kleshas’, gradually sitting down, leaving the audience in delight.

Vinay Tiwari, a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, teacher and photographer began with the varnam Dhani Korikenu in Vasantha raga, misra Jhampa tala. The varnam, choreographed beautifully by his guru Rama Vaidyanathan, was performed with confidence and precision. Here again, the choice of performing a single piece was a smart one and Vinay made best use of it too. The enunciation of the sahitya of the varnam with delicate abhinayas, interspersed with jatis that he executed with effortless elegance was delightful. The abhinaya for Tamarasaksha in the pallavi and the variations of Madanabhi Rama shrinivasa, employing eye movements predominantly, accompanied by subtle body movements were so effective, they seemed to reiterate that less is more in artforms like Bharatanatyam. There was a nimbleness in his nritta without athleticism and his movements were swan-like. Maturity in an artform often shows in the manner in which the artist is able to release energy and effort into the performance in a controlled manner, so as to never appear exhausted through the end. Vinay proved to be one of those who have achieved that balance, investing exactly what is required in nritta, abhinaya and overall execution, making his performance invigorating and delightful.

Shreyas Nair brought grace and poise to the stage, as he danced to Thodayamangalam and Swati Thirunal’s padam Jalajabandhuvumiha jaladhiyilanayunnu in Surati raga. He lent life to the padam by employing appropriate abhinayas with restraint and subtlety.

S.Vasudevan - eminent dancer, singer and choreographer, chose to perform to select verses of from the Soundarya Lahari,  Sivandari. Articulating the intricacies of the verses with abhinaya, he portrayed Devi’s dominance over Lord Siva through the verses Tvaya hṛtva vemaṃ vapu-raparitṛptena manasa. The employment of drishti and bru bhedas to convey the Shakti swaroopa taking over the entire form of Ardhanareeswara, bore the mark of a seasoned artist. Vasudevan engaged the audience through his expressive abhinaya and understated nritta, and his performance stood out among the other strong presentations.

A choreographer, artist and Sanskrit scholar, Himanshu Srivastava’s dance is far deeper than what meets the eye of an average rasika. In his first number on Chandi maa in Hindola raga, he established his well-honed nritta and abhinaya skills. His depiction of the fierce swaroopa of Devi destroying the asuras was impressive. The second item, Cupid's Dice, had the audience intrigued. Himanshu’s layered and nuanced portrayal began with Lord Krishna’s leela, his playing the flute and the effect his playing had on the beings around - mesmerising everyone. Similising the melody coming from Krishna’s flute to manmatha’s arrow, Krishna playfully imitating the gopis were skillfully performed with subdued grace. The highlight of the performance was the game of dice between Radha and Krishna - a game of love in which losing seemed as pleasurable as winning. Victory was rightly portrayed as a fickle companion, shifting sides at every round, with Himanshu adeptly emoting the victor’s triumph, the loser’s disappointment and reluctant resignation, alternately. Himanshu’s pantomimic act explored the depths of romance with fluent grace and a relaxed pace.

Athul Balu, a member of the Spanda Dance Company, performed with poise and sincerity to Nandi Chol and a Surdas Bhajan, effectively utilising the limited time to showcase his talent. Accompanying him was his disciple Shamanthaka, who covered the stage with Athul, dancing to the Nandi Chol with flair and ease. Young Shamanthaka, with his guileless smile and formidable talent was quick to earn a place in the hearts of the audience. Adept at nritta and abhinaya, he ably followed his guru with sincerity and child-like perfection. The piece in which the duo enacted Lord Siva and Krishna dancing together beautifully portrayed the synergy between the guru and shishya.  It was refreshing to see an earnest young artist as opposed to the many manufactured ones of the current times.

Pritam Das began his performance with a javali composed by Ponniah Pillai, a brief very engaging rhythmic abhinaya piece. Pritam portrayed the nayika’s dialogue with the King of Tanjore transitioning swiftly from playful expressions to anger and then to indifference with great aplomb. Following this was an electrifying presentation of Sadhak Ramprasad Sen’s elevating poem on Kaalika Devi - Tribhangini. According to the saint-poet, Kali Ma is omnipresent. She creates everything, sends us to Earth and takes us back to herself. The poem is an unconditional surrender to the Divine Mother exalting every contrasting aspect of her being. As the poem states, ‘One has to become Kali to worship her’, Pritam promptly became Kali Ma. His eyes blazing with wrath and his nritta fuelled by fury, Pritam embodied Devi’s fearful yet motherly persona. Further highlighting the contrast in her description, his choreography alternated graceful adavus with fury filled nritta. His abhinaya for the phrase Tribhango Kirango, showcasing her frightful charisma, the depiction of her eating and drinking her devotees - metaphorically conveying that she destroys our ego, had the audience spellbound. As the sahitya flowed with vivid descriptions of the ghanta naad and Devi’s deadly hunkar, Pritam’s dancing erupted and roared with his fearsome abhinayas, sweeping jumps and a consuming look in his eyes. Concluding the evocative performance, he sang along and danced himself to a complete surrender to the power of Kali ma.

Mumbai’s Anand Satchidanand, the final performer of the evening, showcased what dedication and life long pursuit of excellence can do to an artist. His line up was classic - a Ganesa vandana, an abhinaya piece and a tillana. Beginning with a rendition of Sree Mahaganapati in Gaula raga, Anand established that a tradition bound performance does not have to be staid. With brisk jatis and wholesome abhinaya, he kept the rhythm going, despite a fall and a possible sprain. Following this was Anila tarala kuvalaya nayanena, an ashtapadi, emoted with earnestness and sublimity. The performance and the program ended with a thillana in Behag, which Anand performed with agility and grace.

The event concluded with an address by Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, emphasising to the youth about the importance of staying rooted in tradition and taking our precious classical dance forms to greater heights.

by

Shilpa Shankar

(the author is a Carnatic vocalist, writer and a rasika based in Noida)