The Dancers: Priya Murle | Sasirekha Balasubramaniam | Aishwarya Ananth Karthik | T.M. Sridevi | Preethi Ramaprasad | Deepthi Ravi

PanchChathuram; breaking the bond explores Nava Vidha Bhakti.

Taken from Prahaladha’s shloka on the nine forms of devotion, this performance celebrates the ability for humans to break free from earthly bonds to be one with the universe.

In our time of questioning religion and the existence of God, what is Bhakti or devotion? Priya Murle and dancers explore this ancient term. In a rich tapestry of group and solo dance, the nine forms of devotion go well beyond the concept of divinity. Devotion means listening intently or meditating deeply. It means singing with abandon or dancing like nobody is watching. Devotion can represent the act of offering flowers. It can be humbling enough to inspire one to bow down to something greater than oneself. Devotion can represent the deepest of friendships. It can represent falling at the feet of the divine. Devotion can mean putting someone before oneself to the point of servitude. And at its best, Bhakti can take the form of Atma Nivedhanam, or complete surrendering of the soul.