Bharatanatyam

In this collection of photos I chose to highlight the traditional Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam. The God associated with this dance is Shiva, one of the three trinity gods. Shiva is the God of destruction which is why all of the photos have a red hue to them, a colour which generally represents destruction. These three photos highlight the three main parts of this style of dance: worship, power, and style.

This first image represents the first part of all dances, which is the offering of prayers to the gods, this is symbolized by the candle. It reflects the divinity of the dance and the devotion of the dancers, who traditionally would spend their whole lives "married" to one god and dedicate themselves to dancing in his or her praise.

This second image represents the God Shiva in his three main forms of depiction. Each hand gesture has a specific meaning and symbol relating to the life of this God. This is a representation of the power that every dancer must imbue into her dance.

This last image shows a dance move that is one of the most common moves in Bharatanyam. It is featured in the Tandav which is the dance of destruction that Shiva preforms, said to be the most powerful dance in the universe. This picture also features the element of grace and style that every dancer must bring to the dance, making it not only devotional and powerful, but also beautiful to watch.