Into its seventh year, the Visakha Art and Dance Association (VAADA) has come of age registering its indelible mark on the cultural canvas of Visakhapatnam and its three-day year-end annual festival of dance at Kalabharati testified it in ample measure. Titled ‘Guru Parampara’, this fest showcased a mélange of distinct compositions of different masters.
Hong Kong-based Srihari Baladitya and his troupe’s remarkable performance marked the inaugural session of the fest. Anita Lee, Gynthia Lau, Tandy Mok, Tackie Law, Kixby Wong and Lulu Wong danced the chosen pieces with felicity and fervour. It was pleasant to see these foreign artistes presenting the traditional numbers with a clear grasp of not just the nitty-gritty of Kuchipudi but its finer shades of expressional nuances with the flourish of a maestro. They displayed remarkable talent in dancing the pieces choreographed by maestro Vempati China Satyam with precision.
Then it was the turn of Palisetty Sai Jyothi that unfolded the subtle and fine distinctions in a wide range of expressions in gestural idiom. With her supple and sure footed movements and expressional élan, she looked born for dance. From subtle and slow tempo movements to vivacious and brisk ones dealing with ferocious moods of fight and gallantry, her progression in footwork in perfect sync with abhinaya spoke of her talent. In a wide range of sancharis she vivified various episodes from Ramayana such as Yagarkshana, Tataki vadha, Sita Swayamvaram etc. She ably captured the emotional contours of each character through her exquisite and artistic transformation to the character in question. In the presentation of a tarangam of sage Narayanatheertha, her delineation of lovelorn Nayaki was simply superb. She depicted emotive mindscape of Nayaki with due attention to subtle detail. She, in a way, breathed life into the choreography of Raghupatruni Srikanth.
S.Yamini, a disciple of Vempati Ravi Sankar, danced ‘Manduka Sabdam’ well depicting the episode of Gajendramoksham from Bhagavatam.
However it was her presentation of ‘Etuvantivade’ a padam of Kshetrayya stood out. That she has a good sense of laya was evident all through. A. Aditya in tandem with Varsha and Manasi danced the pieces choreographed by his mother and Kuchipudi exponent, A. Bala Kondala Rao. His performance was reflective of quality instruction imparted to him in various aspects of dance. Performances of Ratnabati Lahari (Odissi), J.V.N Lakshmi (Bharatnatyam), Akella Bharati, Koundinya and M. Kameswari (Kuchipudi) were attractive.
