Pancharatna kritis presented in dance for Tyagaraja Aradhane this year

This year, Bharatnatyam artistes will present the Tyagaraja Aradhane as a dance performance

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