Vasantam - A Kuchipudi Ballet By Alekhya Punjla & Group

Neeharika Institute Of Dance And Music is organising its annual music & dance festival on 21st, 22nd and 23rd of March, at the Lalitha Kala Thoranam in Public Gardens. The 3-day festival will feature some top musicians in whistle wizard K Shiva Prasad, the Hyderabad Sisters, legendary mridangist Dr. Yella Venkateshwara Rao, and dancers in Dr. Alekhya Punjla, Vyjayanthi Kashi and Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry.

Dr. Punjla, along with her group of disciples - Snehalatha, Sumalatha, Sandhya, Aarthi, Sangeeta and Archana - will be performing a Kuchipudi dance ballet called Vasantham (Season of Spring), the second recital for the day. The ballet is about the onset of spring, the greenery around, the festival of Holi and its significance on women.

The ballet is choreographed by Dr. Punjla, and the orchestra for the recital is by Susarla Sarma and Chandra Rao with the nattuvangam and vocal respectively, Vinod Kumar on the mridangam, Kiran on the violin and Murali on the flute.

Alekhya Punjla learnt dance at a young age under the tutelage of late Dayal Sharan, and later continued under Dr. Uma Rama Rao. She has performed at the highest level in India and abroad, including at all the prestigious dance festivals of the country like the Haridas Samaroh, Kalidas Samaroh, Kuchipudi Mahotsav, Kalakshetra, Siddendra Yogi, Nishagandhi, Khajuraho and Konark dance festivals. She choreographed and brought to life several dance ballets of Alamelu Manga, Gouri, Parvathi, Rukmini, Satyabhama, Thilla Kali, Mandakini Durga, Sashirekha, Andal, Draupadi and Radha.

Neeharika Institute Of Dance And Music has been started by Vanaja Uday, a Kuchipudi dancer, teacher and a choreographer, in Chikkadpally. The institute teaches several students in the dance form of Kuchipudi. Vanaja is a senior disciple of Dr. Uma Rama Rao, and is a Lecturer in the Department Of Dance at the Telugu University. A renowned Kuchipudi dancer, she has performed all over India, and in USA, Canada, London, South Africa, Malaysia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Please contact Vanaja Uday at 2763-1205/98490-62103 for further details.