Tandava Competition1

Tandava is a healthy, enjoyable and vigorous tantric dance that symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, birth and death. The term tandava is derived from the samskrit word ’tandu’ which means to jump. Tandava was introduced by the Indian yogi Sadashiva 7000 years ago, and revived by the spiritual master Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Shiva, depicted as Nataraja, the ’Cosmic Dancer’, performs his divine dance to destroy the evil forces (Adharma, symbolized by the best on which he is dancing) and to establish the rule of righteousness (Dharma). In the midst of his agitated dance, Shiva’s head is balanced and still, his expression serene and in perfect equipoise. The dance starts with a jump and landing in a position of bent knees. Another jump follows and the dancer continues jumping with vigorous, brisk movements, lifting one leg then the other continuously. The dance is ended with a final jump. It is accompanied with the rhythmic sound of the universal man