The ‘Natya Malika' was a string of choicest pieces culled out of the hoary Kuchipudi dance repertoire. And young danseuse from the US, Tejaswi Kondapalli did full justice to her two-hour presentation.
Be it the tough Dikshitar kriti Kanjadalayatakshi in Kamala Manohari or the javali in Jhunjuti Iddari pondela raa , the artiste exhibited a grip over abhinaya which is the hallmark of maturity in a dancer. The interpretation of ‘Manmadha bhasmam' episode in the Shiva-Parvati depiction for raaka shashi vadane was a thoughtful introduction in the lofty Kanjadalayatakshi kriti. Tejaswi's pace was well-tuned as were the accurately timed adavus . The footwork however did not display the force and vigour of Kuchipudi as such. Dilution in the name of lasya and exaggerated body kinetics are definitely not the essence of this genre. Grace with rigorous footwork is quintessential Kuchipudi dance. The Shankara Srigiri natha in Hamsanandi flowed easy with beautiful lyrics and expressive movements through sancharis. The highlight of the dance presentation was the javali in which Tejaswi just excelled.
Her facial expressions and eye language spoke volumes in this romantic song. It is indeed a difficult task to portray such emotions through the artistic medium but Tejaswi excelled and took control of this challenging role of the nayika.
The traditional tarangam govardhana giri dhari with the plate dance, Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam's choreography in ragamalika was also a wonderful piece of abhinaya, especially during the gopika bathing scene in the river. She was able to create waves through her gestures and dance like the flowing waters. The Garuda portrayal is also worth a mention.
The tambalam came to the fore for the lines, Sri Vatsankitha and the rhythm fell in line with the beat of mridangam for the jatis. The muktaimpu on the plate had traces of Bharatanatyam element. Most of the dance numbers beginning with a sloka that ran into two verses which was a bit tedious. The prelude to each item by the dancer was welcome.
Nattuvangam by Revathi Komanduri was good. Sweta Prasad on the vocal was powerful while Phani Narayana on the veena regaled the audience in the intermission. Venkatesh on the flute and P.R.C. Sarma on the mridangam made their presence felt.
The afternoon timing of the programme was not justified for a young artiste of Tejaswi's calibre. Ravindra Bharati played host to the dance presentation.
