Pancharatna kritis presented in dance for Tyagaraja Aradhane this year

The Kalarpana Trust brings the Tyagaraja Aradhane in an unique manner this year. Seasoned Bharatnatyam artistes Padmini Ravi, P Praveen Kumar, Prathibha Prahlad, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Soundarya Srivathsa and Sathyanarayana Raju, will present saint-composer Tyagaraja’s Pancharatna Kritis through dance.

To be held on March 20, the event will commence with students from Samskruthi, Sathyanarayana Raju’s dance school, presenting Purandradasa’s pillari geethe, which is usually taken up during the Tyagaraja Aradhane. Guru Sheela Chandrashekhar will also present Dasarapada.

This production will have seven seniors, 18 students and a 27-band sangeeta vadhya vrunda (a live music accompaniment) that will include vocals, nattuvanga, mridangam and the flute. The choreography and interpretations have been arranged by the veterans to showcase diverse abhinaya or expressions.

As a concept, presenting the Pancharatna Kritis through dance seems to be gradually gaining popularity. “With the Tyagaraja Aradhane continuing to hold immense cultural and spiritual significance, dancers have been passionate about choreographing these masterpieces,” says Sathyanarayana Raju. “Audiences too, have begun embracing them. They are able to relate to the kritis they grew up listening to even as they enjoy the dances.”

The dancer, who will take up ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu’ in Sri raga with Soundarya Srivathsa, continues, “Many of saint Tyagaraja’s beautifully structured compositions are a delight for dancers to choreograph.”

Dancer Praveen Kumar
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Lakshmi Gopalaswamy who will be taking up the Varaali piece, ‘Kanakana Ruchira’ believes Tyagaraja would have been pleased to see his music inspire new artistic expressions. “Portraying bhakthi in Tyagaraja’s pieces is one of the most challenging aspects of classical dance. For any dancer, experiencing and expressing this rasa will be a long and deeply personal journey when it comes to abhinaya.” 

Explaining the deeply mellow, slow, contemplative Varaali piece she has taken up, Lakshmi says, “To convey the devotional essence of Tyagaraja’s compositions requires years of practice and sadhana. Only through sustained engagement can a dancer begin to understand the emotional depth of what Tyagaraja has written. We study them not just line by line, but as a comprehensive thoughtful exhortation to the Lord.”

According to Prathibha Prahlad who will be presenting ‘Sadinchane’ in Arabhi, these keerthane contain intricate layers that can be taken up for natural abhinaya. “At the same time, dancers often take creative liberties with choreography. The swaras can be interpreted through nritta, while the sahitya lends itself beautifully to expressive storytelling.”

She goes on to explain how certain compositions by Tyagaraja naturally emphasise abhinaya, while other Carnatic compositions offer dancers the space to explore rhythmic movement and nritta. “This balance allows each artiste to interpret the music in a creative way, while honoring the spirit of the original composition.”

Praveen Kumar says performing with such a large, live ensemble is both a challenge and a privilege. “I have always loved performing to live music because grand compositions such as Tyagaraja’s allow for deeper artistic dialogue. It gives me the freedom to respond to the nuances of music and bring it out in the characters and emotions I portray on stage.”

Another highlight of the event is the live music, with Padmini Ravi opening with ‘Jagadanandakaraka’ in Nattai. Both Padmini and Soundarya Srivathsa say the opportunity to perform with 27 musicians is quite rare.

Tyagaraja Aradhane by Kalarpana Trust will be held at JSS Auditoruim, Jayanagar 7^th block on March 20 with Unchavritti at 8.45am and dance performance at 10am. Entry free.