Shiva by Rukmini Vijayakumar

A weekend with Rukmini Vijayakumar

15 feb - Show "Shiva"
16 feb - Workshop Abhinaya intensive

The double bill "Shiva" with both classical and contemporary Bharatanatyam tells the story of Shiva and Sati through a classical and contemporary lens. Their relationship explores their bond of love and reflects the human complexities of love and marriage. Rukmini Vijayakumar explores the same story through two very different and opposing ideas of creation and presentation. The first half tells the story in traditional bharatanatyam, with compelling abhinaya and crisp rhythmic jathis, while the second half breaks down the emotive content to pure physicality and evokes within us the raw emotion one feels with the loss.

In the second half, the contemporary piece "Unrequited" focuses on a feeling of loss and a broken promise. A feeling of a loved one lost and grief is so unbearable that one never recovers. This is the story of Shiva falling in love against his own will. He is awaked by a love that blossoms into something so tender that he cannot ignore it anymore. Finally he submits to her and gives himself completely. Until one day, she is taken from him.