5 arrows
5 Arrows fuses Bharatanatyam with Christopher’s biracial, queer perspective, recontextualising and creating a dance work that speaks of love and lust, weaving it with tradition and himself to find the sacred within the secular.
Based on Mohamana, an iconic composition of Carnatic (South Indian) dance music that comes from Sadar’s rich history—a composition by Ponnaya of the Tanjore Quartet (18th century)—the piece is a hallmark of the form, as it combines classicism and musicality with historicity. It is to Bharatanatyam what Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is to ballet. Each artist attempts to bring to it a fresh perspective, attempting to find themselves within the lyrics and swarams.
Christopher plays with the structure of the composition, smashing it and using himself and his lived history to fill the cracks. Oscillating between lyrical dance and abstract embodied movement of face, body and gesture, woven together with Christopher’s contemporary sensibilities, the work is equally based on ancient philosophy as it is the lyrics of pop music.
Performed with a live ensemble of four Carnatic musicians who each contribute to the piece, the work is structurally improvised, with each artist collaborating in the moment to make a work that burns like fire and draws the spectator in like a moth to the flame.
Christopher critically questions his practice in Bharatanatyam, asking how he can create and recontextualise compositions from the rich history of dance in a meaningful way, using himself as the catalyst to create a future for this form in Australia. This is not a work of finding oneself; it is a celebration of what has been found.
5 Arrows was first shown in development by CAAP – Longhouse. The work premiered in 2025 by Urban Theatre Projects and was part of the INDance programming by Sydney Dance Company in 2026, receiving five stars from State of the Arts Media.
IMAGES GRACIE
“5 Arrows is a production of immense sophistication and beauty. Through technical brilliance, choreographic intelligence and a deep respect for Bharatanatyam’s expressive traditions, Chris Gurusamy has created a work that feels both timeless and urgently alive.”
SOTA - Manan Luthra
IMAGES NATYA INK
The Varnam Mohamana is a special piece within the Bharatanatyam tradition; it is a hallmark of the style, combining classical form and musicality with historical depth. It is to Bharatanatyam what Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is to ballet. Each artist attempts to bring to it a fresh perspective, attempting to find themselves within the structure of the lyrics and swarams.
Thyagaraja is a composite deity - the icon is believed to be a Somaskanda, meaning an icon of Shiva, Uma, and Murugan. His body, however, is always hidden beneath iconographic symbols and flower garlands, leaving only his face to be seen.
Thyagaraja is celebrated as the ruler of Thiruvarur. Born from the breath of Vishnu, who resides on the ocean of milk, his dance is a reflection of this idea the Ajapa Natanam, a physical manifestation of Hamsa (the swan), which in turn is ‘So Ham’ I am Him. The temple is conducted in both Agamic and Shastram traditions, combining two parallel schools of religious practice in one temple.
Just like the multiplicity of this icon, I too am a composite of multiplicity: I am queer, interracial, Australian; as many people tell me, I am radically myself to a fault, which I bring with me onto the stage. As I created this work between the spaces of words, I found myself within the story of the protagonist, finding my voice echoed in the songs of pop culture.
Within the piece, I oscillate between my own voice and that of the nayika, blending and allowing each to come forward as the music compels me, my truest self in that moment.
In reality, this piece can be reduced to one simple idea
I’m just a boy
Standing in front of a god
Asking him to love me
TOURING IN 2027