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 Amrita Singh's powerful Kuchipudi presentation - Tapati Chowdhurie e-mail: tapatichow@yahoo.co.in April 28, 2023 Sobhamrutam (the nectar of Sobha) in Kuchipudi style was performed solo by Amrita Singh, disciple of the late Dr. Sobha Naidu, at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad. Her powerful renditions made an indelible impression in the hearts of the dance aficionados.  Amrita Singh with her Guru Sobha Naidu Amrita Singh successfully showcased the legacy of her guru by strictly adhering to her style in her presentations, that connoisseurs were easily able to connect her style and mannerisms with that of her guru. The sishya confessed that she did not allow her imagination to run riot, but had been meticulously following lessons that have been imparted to her by her much venerated guru. Kuchipudi Kalamrita of which Amrita is the Artistic Director had also invited dance gurus to give their appraisals on her craft and show her the way. Dr. Anupama Kylash, a practitioner of Kuchipudi dance and Vilasini Natyam trained under Dr. Uma Rama Rao and Dr. Swapnasundari respectively, paid her tribute to Sobha Naidu by appreciating her grit and determination. She spoke of Amrita's raw energy and her adherence to the pristine methodology and original structure of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam whose disciple Sobha Naidu was. Yashoda Thakur, a disciple of Dr. Sobha Naidu, opined that Amrita's performance was a fitting documentation of history diligently following Sobha Naidu's style. Dr. Naidu, a student of Vempati Chinna Satyam, had moulded the male energy of her guru to suit a female body. Anupama Kylash spoke of Naidu's many women based productions too. Amrita Singh established a complete rapport with the audience with the five pieces she performed from the treasure trove of her guru and Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam's choreographies. She is a name to reckon with amongst the young generation, in the field of Kuchipudi dance. Her strong footwork is an asset, which along with her graceful movements, stunning postures and naturalness in displaying expressions impressed those that came to watch her that evening. A national scholarship holder from the Ministry of Culture, she marched forward in a field where competition is stiff and the road is filled with hurdles. She is well known for her discerning lecture demonstrations on dance and culture. Government College of Rajahmundry, Rudrakshya Foundation, Bhubaneswar, National Sanskrit University, Tirupati are a few of the prestigious venues where she has made a mark for her dance related activities. As artistic director of Kuchipudi Kalamrita, she is willing to establish a bigger and better place for the new generation who are ready to come forward to preserve our culture and heritage. Amrita Singh dedicated her first presentation to Pranavakara Siddhi Vinayakam, leader of all the Ganas, who is the embodiment of Omkara swarupa, a unique Vigneswara kirtan composed by Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer. Siddhi Vinayaka, the bestower of boons, was entreated to ensure the success of the Kuchipudi recital. With blessings from the elephant headed God, her guru Sobha Naidu and the bounty of Goddess Saraswathi, she kept the audience glued to their seats with the grace of her dancing, explaining his shining brightness and his adornments with all praises from the demi-gods. This ragam Arabhi and talam adi composition was a choreography by Sobha Naidu.  Amrita Singh The tarangam "Neela megha sareera" is a one-of-its-kind composition of Narayana Teertha, who has detailed in it the childhood activities of Sri Krishna. Tarangams are the soul of a Kuchipudi recital and was superbly performed by Amrita. As per custom, Amrita repeated the stories of Krishna from the time he was a child and had awed his mother with the Viswarupa darshan when she wanted to reprimand him for eating mud; how in the act of stealing butter he was tied to the stone-grinder as a punishment. Later on the miracle of the salvation of two trees by the blue god was etched with perfect emotion filled movements. The last episode showed Krishna stealing curd and sharing with his dear friends before finally standing at first cross-legged on the rim of a brass plate to cover the stage with her dexterous dancing skills, signifying the deep concentration of leaving all earthly bonds to be one with god. Usually, a Yogi's penance is compared to a tharang - waves in the ocean, because here too a dancer displays same focus and penance when performing this item. The piece was etched in a garland of many ragas of the Carnatic genre. Satyabhama Pravesha Daruvu in ragam Bhairavi and talam misrachapu choreographed by Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam showcased the proud, charming and confident Satyabhama, the most devoted wife of Lord Krishna, who is placed on a very high pedestal in Telugu culture and literature and dance. Satyabhama's Pravesha Daru choreographed by Sobha Naidu was replete with rasa, abhinaya, gati prachar and nritya typical of a Pravesha Daru and displayed aesthetically by Amrita. In the Meera bhajan "Pada ghungroo baje Meera nachere" one snatched a glimpse of bhakti, an emotion that lies latent in the human heart. There was clarity in every detail, Rana's cruelty enacted beautifully just as Meera's bhakti was. Though an abhinaya piece, one could not escape seeing the energetic quality of the dancer. A Balamuralikrishna Tillana in Mohanakalyani ragam and adi talam choreographed by Sobha Naidu ended her presentation. The audience left the hall humming the beautiful tunes; such was the quality of Amrita's powerful presentation.  Tapati Chowdhurie trained under Guru Gopinath in Madras and was briefly with International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi. Presently, she is a freelance writer on the performing arts. |
