Melbourne’s Bharatanatyam school premieres ‘Shiva Leelai’ in Chennai

It’s a rare occasion when students from Australia travel all the way to Chennai to perform at a prestigious dance recital. This year, however, the talented dancers of Nadanalaya Academy of Indian Classical Dance, based in Melbourne and founded by Meena Elankumaran, made their way to Mylapore to celebrate a significant milestone— the 30th anniversary of their institution. To commemorate this special event, over 30 dancers from the academy debuted their much-anticipated production, "Shiva Leelai - Tales of the Almighty".

Rukshikaa Elankumaran, the choreographer behind the show, tells us, “This production first took shape as part of our silver jubilee celebrations. We wanted to create a unique dance ballet inspired by traditional mythological tales. These are stories we all know, but we sought to present them in a fresh, engaging way that resonates with younger audiences—especially those growing up in countries like Australia, where the connection to India may feel distant. By blending tradition with innovation, we hope to offer a narrative that feels both familiar and exciting for today’s generation.”

Having previously staged Shiva Leelai in Australia with over 200 students involved, this version, performed in Chennai, featured a select group of 30 dancers, carefully reworked for the occasion. According to Rukshikaa, the response in Australia had been overwhelmingly positive, particularly from younger audiences eager to experience something both rooted in tradition and adapted to modern sensibilities.

“The music for Shiva Leelai was composed by Beven Elankumaran, with lyrics by Sri Padmadevan. The jathis and rhythmic music direction were provided by Satheepan Elankumaran,” she informs.

Over the years, Nadanalaya Academy has established itself as a force in the Bharatanatyam world, with a rich history of performances such as Santhasorubi, Kumarasambavam, Krishna Avatharam, Navarasa Shiva Shakthi, Soora Samharam, Silapathigaram, Dasavatharam, and more recently, Shiva Leelai. The academy also performed at the 2019 World Tamil Conference in Chicago, and are a regular at Chennai’s Margazhi Season.