Natarajalaya Kuchipudi Nritya Kendram presented a dance ballet on Seasons, timing with the Ugadi celebrations. Titled Ugadi Ullasam, the programme was organised by Silpaaramam, at its open air theatre.
The cycle of the seasons are timed with the ‘Kalachakram', the time machine. The change in seasons are meant to do good to the living beings. The ‘Sarat rutu', for example, warms up the earth as a result of which trees witherand water sources dry up, paving way for the next season ‘Hemant Rutu' to augur cloud formation and the seasons change from one to the next.
This is followed by ‘Sisira' season to cause leaves dropping from trees, giving way to the sprouting of fresh leaves. This will be followed by ‘Vasanta Rutuvu' The cycle thus moves on only to benefit the mankind and animal life in general. Guru Ramadevi wrote and choreographed a theme around this subject, ending it with the onset of New Year (Ugadi). Thus she dealt with four seasons in the process allotting each of her disciples one or the other season to play. Besides animals and trees the Rati Manmdha pair dancing to the joy of the season is also projected .
The ballet opened with the introduction of the character of Sun God displaying his fury, presented through a song. Girls, clad in white saris symbolised air and those in blue represented water. The entry of each of the important characters was with a ‘Pravesa Daruvu' typical of Kuchipudi style.
Every charana was presented along with Jaties. Three other girls appeared mimicking breeze, water and trees. The mimicking was good. Once the effect of the sun waned after evaporating water from different sources, ‘Hemantha Rutu' arrived to control nature, minimising the influence of Sun and paving way for cloud formation.
This was followed by the next season ‘Sisira' resulted in dropping of leaves from trees, giving scope for sprouting of fresh leaves converting the area into greenery. The song ‘Nene Nene Sisira Rutuvunu' described the effects of the season. This augured the arrival of ‘Vasantha' Rutuvu, when Rati and Manmadha the celestial couple took stage to present Ananda Nartanam, the dance of pervading happiness all around.
This was set in Hindusthani Tillang raga with alternating beats of tisra and chaturasra. The song was ‘Nava Vasantha Rutu Jaatanu Nene'. The Rati-Manmadha dance was good. There was a snake and peacock dance aswell to instrumental music score. The welcome song of Ugadi in raga Hamsanadam ‘Vache Vache Kotha Ugadi' concluded the show.
Srividya as Sun and Manmadha as well; Pranathi as Sisira Rutuvu, Jayasri as personification of Hemanta rutuvu and also as Rati and Sangeetha as Manmadha were the main dancers. Irish Reddi, Sampada, Tatvika, Vyapti, Sai Varsha, Navya, Needha, Parinisha were others in abstract roles representing nature.
Ramadevi conducted the show to Prasad's mridangam. Music score and rendition was by Srivalli Sarma. Sudhakar on Veena and Venkateswarlu on flute added to the melody.
