Andhra flavour at Khajuraho
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Hyderabad-based Kuchipudi artiste Deepika Reddy is set to perform at the Khajuraho festival.
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GOING CLASSIC Deepika Reddy performance will be based on classicism.
To win laurels on the home front is one thing, to be revered and rewarded outside one's state is an altogether different experience. Deepika Reddy, one of our talented contemporary Kuchipudi dancers, has already made her mark in many a festival. She has to her credit laudable performances in Chennai, New Delhi and abroad. To top it all, she is participating in the famous Khajuraho dance festival. "Every dancer worth her mettle dreams of performing at the Khajuraho festival. The elite audience notwithstanding, it's an acid test to be assessed by our peers and veteran artists," says Deepika who is getting ready with innovative presentations for her dream-cum-true destination.
Deepika will showcase Kuchipudi as a classical genre with its varied facets. The focus, according to her, is on aesthetics within the confines of classicism. Drawing a brief picture of the festival as such, she says, "Usually, there are two artistes representing the same genre. This time around, apart from me, Radha and Raja Reddy will also be performing in the Kuchipudi category. All classical dance forms get represented in this annual festival. But each artiste gets a representation only once in five years. I have performed at the Khajuraho festival way back in the 90s as part of my guru Vempati Chinna Satyam's entourage. But now, I am participating in my individual capacity. I feel it is an artiste's responsibility to carry forward the legacy of the stalwarts and do their bit in keeping the tradition alive. Dedication and diligence are the only means to excel on stage."
The Khajuraho festival, which begins on February 25 in Madhya Pradesh attracts a number of international tourists, connoisseurs and critics. Sonal Mansingh, Padatik, Bharati Shivaji, Raja and Radha Reddy will share the platform with the younger lot like Sujatha Mohapatra,
Manjari/Chitra Chandrasekhar, and Rukmini Vijayakumar among others this year.
RANEE KUMAR
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