Ranjani Murthy performs for Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
- Ratna Rao

April 28, 2010

Ranjani Murthy, an accomplished dancer, gave a Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance recital and enthralled her audience for an hour and a half on Sat. April 24th at ETSU auditorium in TN for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Ranjani's competence was tangible in her timing, grace and postures throughout the performance. Each item was distinct in treatment and brought the artiste's creativity to the fore. Using her compelling eyes, she portrayed plenitude of emotions in her Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi items which were a delight to watch. Her footwork was sharply etched in the Kuchipudi items, which requires good laya and strong footwork.

Ranjani is a fine blend of talent, hard work and commitment. The dance choreography by Sandhya Sree in Kuchipudi and Bhavani Murthy and Ranjani herself in Bharatanatyam was noteworthy. The clarity of Ranjani's dance speaks of the excellent grounding she has had under her teachers.

The live orchestra, which enhanced the program, also deserves special mention. They were vocalist Geetha Navanithan, mridangist Srinath Bala, flautist Aditya Sarvesh and veena player Priya Chandrasekaran.

Ratna Rao is a Bharatanatyam dancer from Knoxville, TN.