Shivaarghya: A festival of male dancers

Ganesa Natyalaya, one of Delhi’s well-known Bharatanatyam institutions, is organising Shivaarghya, a festival dedicated to male classical dancers. The event will be held on Sunday, February 23, from 2 PM to 8 PM at Ganesa Natyalaya, C-16, Qutub Institutional Area. The entry is free and open to all.

This festival was started in 2018 by the late Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan to give talented male dancers a platform to showcase their art. The event is curated by renowned dancer Rama Vaidyanathan and will feature 18 performers presenting eight different Indian classical dance forms.

Dancers performing Bharatanatyam include Dr S Vasudevan, Dr Himanshu Srivastava, Vinay Tiwari, Pritam Das, Nilava Sen, Bharat Gangadhar Devanpalli, Vidhun Kumar, Binesh Mahadevan, and Poojith Menon. Kathak will be performed by Akash Dwivedi, Vishavdeep Sharma, Tribhuban Maharaj, and Gaurav Bhatti. Kuchipudi will be presented by Venkat Deekshitulu, while Ajeesh Menon will perform Mohiniyattam. Dr Sinam Basu Singh will showcase Manipuri, and Akash Mallick will perform Marg Natya. Sanjeev Kumar Jena will present Odissi, and Dr Bhabananda Barbayan will perform Sattriya.

The festival is inspired by Lord Shiva, known as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer. It highlights the deep connection between classical dance and spirituality. The performances will reflect devotion, discipline, and creativity while keeping the tradition alive.

Speaking about the festival, Rama Vaidyanathan, President of Ganesa Natyalaya, said that male dancers have always played an important role in Indian classical dance, and events like these help them get the recognition they deserve. She believes dance is for everyone and that all artists should get equal opportunities.

When: February 23; 2 PM to 8 PM

Where: Ganesa Natyalaya, C-16, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi