Shivoham

SHIVOHAM by Dhirana Academy of Classical Dance:

Dhirana was founded with the sole purpose of guiding children and adults in the art form of  Bharatanatyam. Dhirana strives to bridge the gap between society and the divine art form by inspiring, educating, and guiding the dancers.It aims to build a strong foundation of Bharatanatyam in its disciples. It has always had a hand out for anyone who shows interest in understanding this important aspect of Indian heritage. 

Over the past decade, Megha Rao the artistic director of Dhirana Academy of Classical Dance along with her disciples has captivated the hearts of audiences across the Central U.S at multiple venues. Megha has over 20 years of experience both as a performer and as a teacher. In recognition of her contribution to the performing arts in Northwest Arkansas, she was recently awarded a grant by Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, to support her Dance production – ‘Baala – tale of Kanha’

1.Nrityanjali:  Nrityaanjali  is an invocatory piece in the Bharatanatyam repertoire. It is a salutation to God, the Guru, and the audience. Nrityaanjali is a Nritta piece, where the dancer dances to rhythmic syllables and prominence is given to footwork, rhythmic movements, and lines and angles of the body. Today’s Nrithyanjali is set in vaasanthi and Kalyaani raagas and Aadi Taalam. Dance Choreography is by Vidushi Megha P. Rao. 

2.Devi: The soul is said to be neither male nor female or both male and female. DEVI elaborates on the female aspect of the soul. She is beautiful, successful, invincible, independent, fierce, multitalented, tolerant yet very devoted, humble, and compassionate. She is everything you desire, everything you dread, everything you want and everything you need. She destroys the inner and outer demon. Presenting to you DEVI, the epitome of womanhood. This piece is set in thala malika and raga malika. Dance Choreography by our guru Vidushi Megha.P.Rao.

3. Saami Varnam : Next, we will be moving on to the most complex piece of the entire margam: the varnam. A varnam consists of a variety of dance components, including nritta, nritya, and sancharis - the extempore narration of stories. The music involves jatis - the intricate rhythmic compositions, swaras - the musical notations, and the sahityam - the lyrics. When all of these elements come together, this engrossing number is a visual delight. It is the central and main piece of today’s performance. “Saami naan unthan adimai” is a beautiful composition by Papanasam Sivan, whose 130th birth anniversary was recently celebrated. The dancers depict the pain of separation and the joy of reunion that Shiva and Shakthi go through in their lives together.

4. Aardhanareeshwaram: We will now continue with Ardhanareeshwaram Krithi. Ardhanaree  (half male, half female) is the concept of Shiva-Shakti sharing the same physical form. It symbolizes the basic principle of creation that includes both male and female energies. Ardhanareeshwara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe (Purusha and Prakriti) and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of god.

4. Purvi Thillana :  We will now conclude the show with a Thillana. Thillana is more attractive and different from the rest of the pieces as it is fast paced, consists of intricate footwork, complex rhythmic patterns and sculpturesque poses. The thillana is a complete celebration of dance. It is a brisk and lively piece performed towards the end of Bharatanatyam repertoire. It is a pure Nritta Piece. The composer enjoys the freedom to add the sahithyam based on the presiding deity of the composer or ishta devata.Presenting to you Purvi Thillana. Music by Kalakriya Series.