An aesthetic tribute to ‘guru-shishya’ tradition

Paying a charming ode to the guru-shishya parampara, the students of

Abhinetri Arts Academy

presented a fine exhibition of

Carnatic music

,

Kuchipudi

and

Bharatanatyam

performances at

Ravindra Bharathi

recently.

The two-hour long presentation revolved around legends of Lord Ganesha and goddesses Saraswati and Durga. Presenting popular Carnatic compositions such as the geetham Varaveena and swarajathi Raaravenu, the students enthralled the audience with their command over shruti and laya.

Among the dance recitals, first up was the Kuchipudi performance, which began with a Vigneshwara Stuti on Ragamalika raagam composed by the maestro, M Balamuralikrishna. Displaying neat footwork and fitting expressions, the group of female dancers were impressive. The next piece —Brahmamokkate, an Annamayya keerthana — highlighted their mastery over abhinaya. With lyrics that stressed on the need for unity of mankind, the piece provided ample scope for the students to paint a vibrant picture on stage. Celebrating the magnanimity of Goddess Durga and her various avatars, the Bharatanatyam dancers too captivated the audience with their performance on the gambhira nattai varnam, Amma Ananda Daayini. Their spectacular formations in the charanam segment, Sive Sive, of the varnam made for a visual treat. The final piece of the performance was a thillana composed by Muthaiah Bhagavatar in Hamir Kalyani raagam and the dexterity showed by the performers in it made for a fitting finale.