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A refreshing debut performance December 6, 2011 Sreya Muthukumar, disciple of Guru Shraddha Prabhu Kumar, performed her Bharatanrityam Rangapravesha on the 27th of Nov. 2011 at Purandara Bhavan, Indiranagar Sangeet Sabha, Bangalore. Sreya started with a crisp Pushpanjali in Raga Gambira Natai which included a shloka in praise of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. This was followed by a Ragamalika Jatisvaram in Mishra Chapu tala which was choreographed beautifully by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. She then performed the Muthu Tandavar composition ‘Adi Kondar’ in Mayamalavagaula which described the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva which involved graceful angika abhinaya. The varnam ‘Hidako Bidabeda Padava’ was a Purandaradasa composition formatted and set to music by Padma Subrahmanyam. This provided ample scope for sanchari bhava as well as intricate jatis and well choreographed nritta which Sreya executed with ease. The second half of the concert comprised of the Papanasam Sivan kriti ‘Devi Neeye Tunai’ in Keeravani raga which was based on the story of the Goddess Meenakshi, as well as a Kavadi Chindu in praise of Lord Muruga that was lively and performed with gay abandon by Sreya. The melodious Drupad by Pudukottai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar in raga Purya formed a fitting finale to the recital. The choreography involved a lot of complex cross-rhythmic nritta sequences as well as a Sanskrit verse depicting the advaita philosophy and the nada brahma. Each saptasvara and Vedic svara was depicted using unique postures and gestures discovered through extensive research by Padma Subrahmanyam. It was to Sreya’s credit that she performed this difficult piece with considerable ease and grace. With continued training, Sreya surely has the potential to make her mark in the world of Bharatanrityam. The musical ensemble that provided excellent support comprised of nattuvangam by Guru Shraddha Prabhu Kumar, vocals by Vasudha Prahlad, mridangam by Lingaraju, violin by JK Sridhar, and flute by Karthik Sathavalli.