Celebrating dance

International Dance Day celebrations saw Kuchipudi in the forefront.

Kuchipudi dance performance to mark International Dance Day-2010, organised jointly by The Hindu and Element School of Visual Arts in Vijayawada. PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR.

Fine Kuchipudi dances and a deserving felicitation marked the function celebrated jointly by The Hindu and Element, a visual arts school of Vijayawada, in connection with International Dance Day. The colourful programme organised at Gokaraju Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika in G.V.R. Government College of Music and Dance started with Kuchipudi dance items performed by the students of Hamsadhvani Nrityalaya run by Ch.Ajaykumar and Natyacharya Bhagavathula Venkatarama Sarma. The highlight of the programme was a fitting felicitation to veteran Natyacharya Bhagavathula Yagnanarayana Sarma who had produced hundreds of dances in his fifty year long service to Kuchipudi dance.

Ajaykumar's Hamsadhvani Nrityalaya students performed Vinayaka Kautuvam and Pushpanjali. Kautuvam was neatly performed by Yamini and Manogna and Pushpanjali was done by Geeta Poornima, Surekha and Chaitanya with fine co-ordination. A popular Annamacharya keertana Kattedura Vaikunthamu was appealingly presented by Mahati and Vijita. Next came the famous Kuchipudi item Krishna Sabdam , admirably performed as an attractive solo by Manogna who excelled in abhinayam and foot work.

Other impressive items were the Thyagaraja kriti

Balakanakamaya in Athana by Surekha, Chaitanya and Geeta Poornima and the tarangam

Alokaye Balakrishnam which was expressively done by Vijaya, a talented young dancer. Venkatarama Sarma's disciples Vijayanand, Harika and Meghana also performed a thillana.