Shiva is one of the prime deities in Hinduism. He evokes tremendous loyalty among followers and can take many forms. Moreover, Shiva is the god of arts and yoga, and he is revered for his strength and passion. Also known as The Destroyer, Shiva exists in a trinity with Brahma (The Creator) and Vishnu (The Preserver).
Meanwhile, Shakti is Shiva’s consort. Each represents feminine and masculine principles.
This helps explain why a new Indian dance production exploring the duality of life is called Shiva (he)/Shakti (she). Bharat Natyam dancers Kiruthika Rathanaswami and Malavika Santhosh conceived, directed, and will perform this work on consecutive evenings at the Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street). The Dance Centre and Mandala Arts will present Shiva (he)/Shakti (she) at 8 p.m. on Friday (December 6) and Saturday (December 7).
“The concept of duality is deeply embedded in Hindu mythology,” Rathanaswami says in a news release. “Malavika and I wanted to present a work using Bharata Natyam to examine this idea of two people in one body, and the inseparable and complementary nature of passive and active energies.”
Music praises Shiva and Shakti
Mandala Arts founder Jai Govinda choreographed the piece.
“Shiva and Shakti, Yin and Yang, purusha and prakriti, are all Eastern concepts celebrating dualism and the constant fluidity of change,” Govinda says. “Malavika and Kiruthika have created this show by weaving together five of my choreographies with music praising Shiva and Shakti, who are also described as Ardhanareeswara: half woman / half man, the two united as one.”
Sri BalaSubramanya Sharma & Orchestra directs the music in the production. Chengyan Boon oversees lighting design.
The Dance Centre and Mandala Arts will present Shiva (he)/Shakti (she) at 8 p.m. on Friday (December 6) and Saturday (December 7). The dancers will perform this work at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. For tickets, visit the Dance Centre website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia. Follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social.
