Kuchipudi Dance Festival: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR KUCHIPUDI DANCE FESTIVAL

It had the likes of Alekhya, Shobha Naidu and Pasumarthy Venkateswara Rao. Obviously
then, the three day festival organized by Kinnera Arts Theaters saw a huge attendance.
Presenting a day-by-day account.

Day 1, Nov 17

The festival commenced with a pleasant performance by Alekhya. Recently conferred
with the title 'Abhinaya Tapasvini' at Rajamundry by many learned scholars,
Alekhya lived up to her position by demonstrating an excellent expressional
repertoire.

After a brief ritual dance attributed to the omniscient Ganesha, Alekhya chose
a series of three numbers in continuation depicting the subtle romance of the
divine flute player and a young maiden. Here the Nayika is a 'Mugdha' or an
innocent heroine who daydreams of Krishna, and how she desires to unite with
him. The extension song and dance showed the heroine in the company of her lover
Krishna, taking the liberty to wake him up from his deep sleep. The breezy melody
of Malaya Marutam "Meluko Sringararaya Meti Madana Gopala." created a delicate
mood, while the dancer explored the poetry with equal grace.

The concluding Tillana in Brindavani was also an extension that showed a dancing
and flute playing Krishna enchanting the Gopikas and also the animals and birds
that flock towards him, mesmerizing all of them. Vocalist Sweta, percussionist
Vinod Kumar and Nattuvanar Raghunandan comprised the musical support.

The following program was a dance ballet choreographed by young Kiranmayi. Titled
"Mohana Vamsi", this ballet has many dancers performing the usual Krishna-Radha-Gopika
series. Here Krishna's flute is treated as a heroine ever in union with the
Lord, whose form is the mesmeric 'music'.

Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna graced the festival formally inaugurated by K Prathibha
Bharathi, and with other chief guests like K V Ramana and Boyina Venkateswara
Rao.

Day 2, Nov 18

Jagadanandakaraka: This was 'Ramayanam' depicted by Thyagaraja's poetry
and Kuchipudi dance. Shobha Naidu appeared once again with her elaborate cast,
musicians, makeup artists, set designers and, of course, the team manager. This
second evening of Kinnera Art Theater's Kuchipudi Festival saw "Jagadanandakaraka"
in all its garish colour and melodrama, which, however, delighted the many fans
of Shobha Naidu.

Songs of Thyagaraja in various ragas were organized in a series to illustrate
the story of the magnanimous Rama. From the practice of disciplining martial
arts in his childhood, his varied adventures in the jungles and the dramatic
episode of 'Sita Swayamvaram' to the exile in the forests and the great Lanka
episode, the marathon, long- winded ballet almost haunted the audience till
back home. Thyagaraja's subtle and much revered songs never seemed so heavy
and drawn out.

Shobha Naidu and Padma Hemamalini enacted the lead roles of Rama and Sita, and
were on stage throughout. Dr C Narayana Reddy and Dr Uma Rama Rao were the chief
guests of the evening.

Day 3, Nov 19

The grand finale of the three-day Kuchipudi festival saw two brilliant dance
ballet productions, one of Maddali Usha Gayatri and another of Pasumarthy Venkateswara
Sarma. The former is a conceptual play scripted by Kakaturi Padmavathi, while
the latter is a traditional masterpiece of Venkateswara Sarma.

'Yashoda Krishna' of Usha Gayatri, unlike the usual Krishna themes and concepts,
draws the image of a universal 'motherhood' that symbolizes life. Yashoda is
the picture of the mother who has the liberty to chide, command and give unconditional
love to her little Krishna, none other than the Lord of the Universe.

A five-year-old tiny artist Geetika enacted Krishna, while Usha herself explored
the role of the 'Universal Mother'. The play had other supporting characters
like Nanda (donned by Sruti Reddy) and Rohini (Srilekha Srinivas) apart from
a host of other artists. With music aptly composed by Srivalli Sarma, the play,
in a broad-spectrum, was meaningfully gentle.

The post interval show, 'Keechaka Vadha', was an intense climax for the festival.
This great excerpt from the Mahabharatha the dramatic plot of the Pandava brothers
in exile taking refuge at King Virata's palace, where Draupadi confronts the
lustful Keechaka. Pasumarthy himself enacted the vigorous anti-hero role of
Keechaka, who enters the death trap.

The supercilious Keechaka ("Simha Baludani!"), a determined Draupadi, and the
five Pandava brothers in disguises make the plot a through entertainer. Despite
staging this production for over 110 times now, the play still attracts audiences,
especially because of Pasumarthy's ever-enchanting treatment of the Nrutya Natika
with mood music, dialogue and action.