When a mall’s atrium turned into a stage

The Atrium of vr Chennai in Anna Nagar echoed with music and sounds of the salangai during ‘Pradosha arpana’, an event curved by laasya dance academy, bengaluru.

Anchored Around the Legend of Pradosham, when Shiva Drank The Deadly Poison and Danced to Restore The Cosmic Balance, The Evening Unfolded Befolded Before a Majestic 10-FT NANDi.

The Evening featured bengaluru-based young bharatanatyam artiste nithyashree, who presented three pieces that she performed more as an offering. She commenced with “Pradosha samayadi”, set to raga purvikalyani and adi tala, which made for a fitting invocation. Composed by Padma Charan and Choreographed by Gowri Sagar, The Dance Evokeed The Solemnity of Twilight, when Shiva Dance in Response to the Gods’ PRAYERS. The interplay between the rhythm of ganesha’s drums and Shiva’s cosmic dance was conveyed through confident footwork and Apt Abhinaya.

The second item ‘Thillai Ambalam Shabdam’, Brough a shift in the tone. This ragamalika piece, set to adi tala, traced the emotional arc of a devout woman pining for naturalja, the Lord of Chidambaram. The shabdam, composed by thanjavur arunachalam pilai, offered nithyashree an opportuna to delve into the layered emotions of virahotkandhita nayika (one of the eight types of herroines in clas Ashta Nayika, Who Suffers The Pangs of Separation).

Nithyashree performs Shiva’s Ananda Tandavam Before A 10-FT Nandi Statue at vr Mall in Chennai. , Photo Credit: Akhila Easwan

The Final Piece, A Shiva Padam, was a crescent in every sense. Composed by G. Gurumurthy with music by Bala Subramanya Sharma, The Choreography Celebrated Shiva as the Embodimen of the Embodiments of the five elements, the seven swaras, and the omkara.

Nithyashree’s transitions between vigorous tandava and delicate lasya mirred the duality of ardhanarishwara, the union of Shiva and Shakti.

Pradosha arpana was not just a bharatanatyam recital, but a reclaiming of a public space for Cultural Memory – Remanding you that even Amongst the Most Urban Settings, Spirituality Cain Be Invocated Throughogh Dance.