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Kuchipudi is the winner
The winning team of `Srimad Bhagwad' poses proudly with the gold-coated statuette of Sidhendra Yogi.
Their `bhavas' and `bhangimas' were perfect. So were their `mudras'. But then, there had to be `the best' among them, and so the organisers of the three-day Kuchipudi festival selected the ballet `Srimad Bhagwad' for the first `Sidhendra Yogi Puraskar'.
Instituted by the State Department of Culture, the festival was aimed at encouraging young and upcoming artistes in the traditional dance form.
For denizens of Vijayawada, it was a visual treat for three days from Sunday last.
Young artistes, in perfect sync with other members of their group, effortlessly brought to the fore the nuances of well- known ballets like `Bhama Kalapam', `Srikrishna Tulabharam', `Ardhanareeswara' and `Sriramudi Pattabhishekam'.
The stage settings and embellishments created the right ambience while their costumes and witty and scintillating presentation floored the audience.
Young artistes excelled in the portrayal of Satyabhama bringing out the finer aspects of the character with a streak of elegance and grace.
Their facial expressions were a mixture of aesthetic emotions of love, valour, pathos, wonder, derision, fear, disgust, fury and tranquillity. Though some of the `mudras' seemed complicated, even the uninitiated could understand the meaning for they were so explicit. The winners, meanwhile, were elated as they felt that the festival had paved the way for revival of interest in the ancient dance form.
"I am delighted,'' said a bubbly 18-year-old B. Saumya, who played the main role of Lord Krishna, in the ballet.
"It was a neck and neck competition and I was not very sure of bagging the first prize,'' she said, flashing an infectious smile.
For others too the festival was a turning point as it gave them an opportunity to showcase their talent.
The ballet was choreographed by Natyacharya B. Venkatarama Sarma, who runs a dance institution, Sri Nrutya Kalasala, in Vijayawada.
`Ardhanaareeswara', staged by artistes from Hyderabad, bagged the second prize, while `Sriramudi Pattabhishekam' by those from Kuchipudi was adjudged the third best among the eleven ballets that were staged.
Winners of the first prize were given a gold-coated statue of Sidhendra Yogi along with a cash prize of Rs.25,000. The second prize comprised a silver statue of the yogi with a cash of Rs. 15,000, while the third prize winners were presented the yogi's bronze statue and Rs. 10,000.
By P Sujatha Varma
in Vijayawada
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Life
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