A unique piece to the Kuchipudi repertoire where the dancer performs rhythmic sequences while dancing on the rim of a brass plate simultaneously balancing a pot of water on their head.
The word 'Tarangam' translates to 'waves', therefore the movements presented in a tarangam are reflective of the movement of waves of an ocean or river.
Tarangams are presented to songs written by Narayana Theertha from his ‘Sri KrishnaLeela Tarangini’. This encompasses the stories and life of Lord Krishna, from his childhood, to all his pranks, to his marriage to Rukmini.
Performing this feat has a greater symbolic meaning. As stated by the second president of the Indian Republic, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, in the Indian Express, ‘There is a philosophical significance to the waterpot and plate. It is analogy to life itself.’
“While carrying heavy responsibilities (symbolized by the pot filled with water), we are bound to this earth (symbolized by the brass plate under the feet). Similar to how the dancer balances the pot while staying in rhythm, their life should be balancing responsibilities and staying grounded.”
Tarangams are usually presented to songs written by Sri Narayana Theertha from his ‘Sri KrishnaLeela Tarangini’. This encompasses the stories and life of Lord Krishna, from his childhood, to all his pranks, to his marriage to Rukmini. Sri Narayana Theertha also wrote about Rama, Narasimha, Venkateswara, Durga, Varadaraja, and Dakshinamurthy but Krishna was his IshtaDeivam, or beloved deity.
Practicing Tarangam Items
While it might seem intimidating, here are some tricks to make practice more productive:
Pot:
Make sure the bottom of the pot has a surface that slightly curves inward. The space in between the pot and your head will allow the pot to sit nicely on your head and will be better balanced
When you first start balancing the pot, fill the pot with rice and rocks instead of water and cover tightly with plastic wrap and rubber bands. This will give you some confidence when practicing and you won’t get drenched when the pot falls for the first time
When you start practicing with water, always have extra towels ready to go in practice. The pot will 100% fall and water will spill everywhere
Do NOT rely on your flowers+hair bun to help balance the pot. In fact, it has almost the opposite effect giving you the false sense of security that the pot is ‘safe’ from falling. More often than not, the pot has more of a tendency to fall to the sides!
Practice walking around the house with the pot. You will get super comfortable doing regular activities over time that dancing with the pot becomes a piece of cake
Always have a practice pot (which is most likely going to be dented from falling so many times) and a performance pot (which will be in pristine condition ready for stage performances)
Plate:
Practice football/rugby exercises (not even kidding) to build up thigh strength. The thigh movement when doing the plate is very similar to football shuffles, quick feet, agility ladder exercises, and skater jumps and utilize the same muscles. If you build strength, moving the plate will be no problem. Expect your muscles to be incredibly sore after these exercises!
Always aim to be constantly moving with the plate, while keeping your upper body incredibly tight. Start isolating your movements during practice by differentiating between upper body movements and then lower body movements.
Make sure that the edge of the plate is rounded/sanded by a welder. You don’t want to get cut by the plate!
Avoid trying to ‘clench’ the plate edges with your toes. This will make you fall over forward face first when you try to move it quickly. Instead, practice evenly distributing your weight between your heels and toes. This will help you to move the plate easier and stay strong for longer.
Before performing, always request tech time to practice the plate on the floor that you will be performing on. Move all around the stage and possibly do the entire plate segment. Wood flooring is apt, but sometimes you will be on rosco marley flooring which is a little bit stiffer and requires more energy to move. Do NOT perform on carpet - the friction will not allow you to move effectively and you will injure yourself.
Time and patience are key to practicing a tarangam piece. It is easy to get discouraged if practice is not going your way, especially because it requires you to learn to move your body in an unnatural way. However, you will see results and become more comfortable just by staying consistent with your practice.
Here are a few timeless tarangams presented by renowned Kuchipudi artists that are a must watch:
Yamini Krishnamurthi | Neela Megha Sareera
T A R A N G A M