Abhinetri and Praveenya Art Academies, run by noted vocalist Swetha Prasad and Bharatanatyam artiste Pramod Kumar Reddy, organised an enchanting cultural show at Ravindra Bharathi last week.
It was quite a huge show that ran almost for three hours. It was opened with vocal recital by disciples of Swetha Prasad. These students were Prasidha, Sreya, Navya, Mounika, Sai Sreya, Chinmayi, Sahiti, Sadhvika, Rithuna, Sivya, Ishwarya and Sravanthi. They started the recital with Raagade Raagade Paramambika , in ragam Brindavani. Later the entire group joined in the rendition of two of Annamachrya kirtanas – Indariki Abhayammu and Adivo Alladivo , Madhyamavati number.
This was followed by violin duet by Kolanka Brothers — Anil and Sai in the company of their father Kolanka Lakshmana Rao. The brothers were trained under Peri Sirama Murthy. The violinist duo presented an enthusiastic recital and complementing each other.
All the numbers they presented were that of Thyagaraja, opening with Raghunayaka in Hamsadhwani. Later they played Sobhillu Saptaswara in Jaganmohini in Rupaka talam and Bantureethi Koluvu in Hamsanadam. The major number and the most laudable presentation was Nagumomu in Abheri, adi talam. The raga expansion shared by both was exemplary bringing out their manodharma into focus. Even the swarakalpana part was invigorative.
They concluded with a folk number.
Dance melangeThe dance part has a curious mix of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam presented by Pramod Kumar Reddy, Lalitha Sindhuri and Bijna Balakrishnan respectively. It was called ‘Nrutyam Madhuram’. It started with all the three dancers presenting ‘Swaranjali’ a rhythmic mix of swaras all set in ragamalika. Then it was turn of Bijna presenting Krishna Nee Begane Baro in Yaman set to misrachapu talam with graceful moves.
Then it was turn of Pramod Kumar to present a Bharatanatyam number for which he rightly chose varnam Ninne Neranamminanura in Athana, Adi talam. After this, Kuchipudi artiste Lalitha Sindhuri presented Narayana Teertha’s tarangam Govardhana Giridhara in raga chain set to Adi talam. Her abhinaya of the sequences and the way the mandatory dance on brass plate to jatis matching sounds of mridangam were laudable. The show ended with all the dancers taking stage again like they did in the opening part of their show.
The show was enriched by the animated nattuvangam and vocal support by Swetha Prasad to mridangam by Renuka Prasad, with K.Saikumar on violin, Uma Venateswarlu on flute and Sridharacharya providing special effects.
Put together it was an enthralling show from start to end.
