Sparkling solo performance by Pallavi Kumar 
- Sunita Chowdhary, Hyderabad
e-mail: sunitachowdhary@gmail.com 
 
 
January 31, 2007 
 
Kuchipudi is known for its aesthetic amalgamation of pure dance, music and histrionics with which it enacts scenes from Hindu epics and mythological tales. Yesterday at Ravindra Bharati, Sri Sakala Ganadipa, an invocatory item came alive in a sparkling solo performance by Pallavi Kumar, a seasoned Kuchipudi exponent known for her flawless style and grace. Pallavi paid obeisance to Lord Ganesha, Anjaneyaswami and Krishna. This was followed by the Suryashtakam and the Annamacharya Keertana had the audience in raptures. 

Pallavi has been dancing from the tender age of three and her abhinaya has improved with every passing year. You could notice the sensitivity for the delicate nuances of the art in the elaborate wedding ritual. The composition included Ahalya turning from a stone to a woman, how Rama killed Ravana and then eventually the swayamvaram. Omkara Akaarini was a visual treat; it showed how Balatripurasundari assumed the Omkara Rupini and vanquished the demons. 

The Ravana stotram comprised of vedapatanam and namakam chamakam. Blessed with a commanding stage presence, Pallavi has the ease and confidence coupled with flawless footwork, a result of years of rigorous training in the art form. She had of course attributed her latest performance to her Guru, Sri Vedantam Raghava (who belongs to the family the namesake Vedantam Raghavaiah who directed the classic "Devadasu"). She has carved an inimitable style of entertaining the audience. With excellent support from the vocalist, DSV Sastry's melodious singing and equally superb tabla accompaniment from Srikanth, Pallavi had the audience eating out of her hands. 

Organized by the Chaitanya Art Theatres, the program began on the dot and finished well in time making the audience want for more. 
 
 

Sunita Chowdhary has been working as a journalist for the past 14 years and is currently with The Hindu.