Vysakhi Nrityotsav was organised by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy, Visakhapatnam, an affiliate of International Dance Council, UNESCO. Founded and organised by its secretary Bathina Vikram Goud and president Rekhala Krishna Goud, the academy featured a dozen dances distributed over four evenings since last Saturday. It also presented seminars on Indian classical dances in the forenoon sessions.
The festival was presided over by A.U. Department of dance coordinator and professor V. Gouri Rammohan, film and dance historian (Chennai) V.A. K. Ranga Rao who also chaired the sessions and Kuchipudi exponent Lalith Kumar Guta who coordinated the workshops followed by seminars.
Kuchipudi solos by local danseuse P. Saijyothi and Vyjayanthi Kasi from Bangalore and she along with her disciples Ramani, Mallika Madhuri, Madhuri Sarcar and others in groups presented Poothana Moksha , story of Kubja and the ever-lasting glory of Bhagavad Gita , on the inaugural evening.
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Aruna Mohanthy along with her disciple Prabhas from Bhubaneswar (Orissa) presented Barasa Avibhara, Madhurashtakam , a few episodes from Geetha Govindam and the heart rending visualisation of the recent tsunami along with another half a dozen young danseuses, gave soul stirring performances on the following evening.
Almost equally splendid were the performances of Bhasanthagaman , lovelorn pangs of Radha, Krishnaleela and Prabhat Nritya presented by Poushali Chatterjee from Kolkata in the Manipuri tradition.
Presentation of Kathak by Nandini and Muralimohan from Bangalore was the sparkling finale of the second evening.
Pleasing Kuchipudi by local artiste K.V. Lakshmi, delectably discerning Andhranatyam by Kalakrishna from Hyderabad, Mohiniattam by Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Thankamani Kutti and her disciples and finally Bharathanatyam by Lakshman and party from Chennai marked the penultimate evening on Monday.
With performances in Kuchipudi tradition by local artiste V.V.S. Jagannath and Kathakali by Kalamandalam Kuttan Ashan from Kerala, the festival concluded on a grand note on Tuesday evening. Almost all artistes who performed classical dances were meritorious.
