Delightful fare
RANEE KUMAR
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Uttaraa Centre for Performing Arts celebrated their anniversary with pleasing flute and dance recitals.
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Uttaraa Centre for Performing Arts has always been credited with diligence and dedication both as a teaching and performing institution. The eighth anniversary celebration this year at Ravindra Bharati was marked by flute concert and dance recital by
the students with a jugalbandi or dance and flute-the hallmark of Uttaraa.
It was a pleasure to see the senior and junior disciples of Guru Jayaprada Rama Murthy play a swarajati in Bilahari on the flute in unison followed by a varnam –Jalajaaksha in Hamsadhwani. The seniors- Jayasheela M. and R.P.
Raju along with Vishnu Chaitanya took the lead for the varnam while the little ones floated along with them in rhythmic precision.
An apt Dikshitar kriti on Varalakshmi in Sri ragam on the eve of the festival spoke of the sensitivity of the teacher. The Thyagaraja kriti in Kalyani by Raju and Jayasheela alternating over the swaraprastharam was impressive. They went along defined lines never straying for want of breath which was in itself commendable. The brief but beautiful recital wound up with Paayoji maine Ram rattan dhan…in Mishra Behag set to ek taal. The guru
Photos: K. Ramesh Babu and G. Krishnaswamy
Celebrations galore Students performing at the Uttarra Centre’s 8th anniversary.
should be complimented for the sensitive approach to the entire performance which was a smooth sail where her students did her credit. G. Ramachandran on the mridangam. Pavan Singh on the violin and Srikanth on the kanjira infused enthusiasm in the young flautists with their respective orchestra.
In synch
Geetha Ganesan’s pupils took to the stage with Pushpanjali followed by a Soundarya Lahari sloka (Shive shrigarardha …) for abhinaya. A little more attention to the meaning of the Sanskrit verse while
enacting it could have been enriching. The alarippu had a large group on the stage but was in absolute synch especially as one line shifted and merged with the other in rhythmic patterns. The varnam - Devi ninnu chaala na
mmithi composed by Jayaprada in Ragamalika by the senior students was marked by brisk jatis, executed with verve and vigour. Well-laid out footwork patterns were delineated with skill and speed as they worked through the cycles. T
he varnam had all the mandatory ingredients. Good abhinaya was evident in the three episodes of birth of Ganesha, Mahishasura vadha and Meenakshi kalyanam.
The very brief but beautiful jugalbandhi of flute to dance was a wonderful piece of nritta to flute music alone with a sprinkling of the vocal nattuvangam. Guru Geetha Ganesan who conducted both the nattuvangam and singing was at her best. She is gifted with a mellifluous voice which had both sweetness and power that enriched the presentation.
Uttaraa is credited with honouring great gurus in the fields of music and dance every year which is a commendable trait. This year around it was Guru Dr. Uma Rama Rao and Hyderabad sisters Lalitha and Haripriya who were felicitated by the institution.
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