Lissom grace in footwork and classy expressions marked the Kuchipudi performance of Sai Krishna Sannidha at Kalabharati Visakhapatnam. A product of Kuchipudi Kalakshetram of maestro Vempati Chinna Satyam, she has an elegant stage presence.
Endowed with an unusual aggregate of talent, she blossomed into a Kuchipudi delight under the tutelage of guru Hari Rama Murthy. A striking aspect of her performance was her amazing grasp of the emotional contours of the characters being portrayed. And that, in a way, invested her presentation with refinement and a typical lustre. Mythology forms the core of the classical repertoire and it was hard to assimilate its subtle shades of significance at young age. That she excelled on this count vouches her passion for dance.
Having warmed up with an invocatory, she proceeded to present Rukmini Prevesa daruvu. The graceful gait and royal demeanour of a princess found appealing articulation in her presentation.
Srigara Lahari was sated with distinct chorographical flashes of Guru Hari Rama Murhty that stood well executed in detail. In this her abhinaya was a blend of sringara and roudra rasas. In a bid to pave the way for Parvati to be the consort of Lord Siva, Manmadha, the cupid, aims his darts of passion at the Lord.
Enraged Siva opens His third eye and reduces the cupid to ashes. This episode of Kamadahanam formed the thread for expression that wove the magic Kuchipudi.
Nandanandana, a tarrangam of sage Narayana Theertha and a typical kuchipudi piece dealt with two episodes related to Lord Krishna.
His pranks with Gopikas, where he stealthily takes away the clothes of the milk maids on the banks of Yamuna and teases them; another one where Lord Krishna’s taking of a handful of flattened rice ensures fabulous riches to his childhood pal Kuchela found good narration in gestural language.
She was at her evocative best in delineation of subtle nuances of Nayaki’s pining for her Lord in ‘Rara na swamy raara’ a padam of Kshetrayya. It was heartening to see young talent taking up a challenging padam for it has, of late, become a rarity to find Kshetrayya padams that were a must in Kuchipudi repertoire of yester years. She portrayed virahothkantitha nayaki with verve. Her spirited portrayal brought out the artiste’s innate sparkle of imaginative expression in splendid way.
It surely kept the viewers overwhelmed in a feeling of ecstasy that stood extended to vivacious Tillana that capped the session.
Guru Hari Rama Murthy’ nattuwangam, DVS Sastry’s vocal, Rajagopalacharya on mridangam, Jayakumaracharya on table, Murali on flute, and Dinakar on violin lent good orchestral support.
