The great Hindu god Shiva has many aspects or forms.
Here he appears as Natarāja, the Lord of the Dance.
The dance illustrates Shiva's role as the deity who destroys the cosmos so that it can be renewed again.
Shiva oversees the endless cycles of time, marking its pace with his drum and footsteps..
Theyyam is said to have originated as a fertility ritual.
Though a dance form, it is not performed for entertainment.
This is a dance of the Gods, a ritualistic display of centuries-old worship.
Mainly performed in the Northern parts of Kerala, the purpose of this dance worship is to unite humanity with divinity..
Nataraja (Sanskrit: नटराज, romanized: Naṭarāja Tamil: நடராஜர், romanized: Naṭarājar), also known as Adalvallan (Tamil: ஆடல்வல்லான், romanized: Ādalvallāṉ), is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer.
His dance is called the tandava..
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/; Greek: Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus..
Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) Indian (Tamil Nadu) Chola period (880–1279) The Metropolitan Museum of Art..
The Greek Hermes, son of Zeus, and messenger who was often depicted with a lyre and winged feet, had as Roman equivalent Mercury.
They are the god or guardian of the dancers.
Hermes' son Pan, the god of the forest, usually with goats feet, is sometimes called Lord of the Dance or dance master..
