Nataraja

The Government Museum in Chennai is an interesting complex of natural history, children's museum, painting, technology (very strange assortment of objects) and ancient South Indian sculpture. The bronze collection is outstanding (they're also kept in an AC room, which was very welcomed).

One of the most common subjects in Indian bronze sculpture is Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva's destruction dance. This dance sets the stage for Brahma to start the process of creation.

In the sculpture Shiva dances in the middle of a circle of flames, lifting his left leg while balancing over a demon-dwarf (apasmara) that symbolizes ignorance.

He has four arms; a cobra uncoils from his lower right arm, and that hand shows the abhaya mudra (a mudra is a posture or symbolic gesture usually done with the hands that has symbolic meaning in hindu and buddhist iconography) which represents fearlessness and bestows protection from evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma (virtuous path that leads to correct understanding of reality).
The upper right hand holds a small drum (damaru) which symbolizes the sound of creation, a sort of heartbeat if you may. In opposition, the upper left hand carries fire, symbol of destruction. The lower left hand points towards the raised foot which signifies upliftment and liberation.

The pose is extremely graceful and almost peaceful. But Shiva cannot stand midair like that forever. And the moment he moves everything will be destroyed to be created once more.