Pratibha And The Lord: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR PRATIBHA AND THE LORD

A number of gurus, from the eminent to the lesser known, have had a hand in making
Pratibha stand out from the lot. Normally, more tutors would mean a muddled student,
but this budding Kuchipudi artist seems to have imbibed the best that each had
to offer. No wonder then that she caught the attention of Yuvakala Vahini, an
organization that is always keen to promote young talent.

Tutored under Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry, Sarala Kumari and also Vijaya and Yashoda Seshagiri Rao, Pratibha carries the stamp of versatility that ought to be the product of such varied teaching. She doesn't stick to a specific discipline and yet manages to please the audience with her delightful spirit.

'Vinayaka Stuti' was a ritual beginning, while the 'Narayaneeyam' drew auspicious images of the Lord Vishnu, his celestial abode in the milky ocean, and his characteristic possessions like the chakra and the conch, apart from the cherished reflection of the blue-colored Lord Krishna. The dancer then rendered a more humane number in 'Muddugare Yashoda', symbolizing the maternal love of Yashoda, whose fondness for her little child remains exemplary.

'Alamelu Manga Vilasamu' was yet another dance piece that drew compassionate postures of the divine couple Venkateswara and Alamelu Manga. Here, the heroine expresses her tender love for the hero, who is the Almighty Himself. This 16-year-old dancer did manage to dramatize these romantic expressions in an able form. The show culminated with a spirited number illustrating the unique form of Siva and Parvati as 'Ardhanaariswara' - with half the body belonging to Siva and the other half to Parvati - symbolizing the eternal truth that every man has a woman in him and vice versa.

Vocalist Srivalli Sarma, cymbal player D S Sastry, violinist Muralidharacharya and percussionist Rajagopalacharya accompanied Pratibha.