VMDA organises the Annual ‘Kalabharati Dance Festival’, 2017
Visakha Music and Dance Academy, Kalabharati, Visakhapatnam conducts several programmes throughout the year apart from major festivals like Tyagaraja Aradhana Mahostavalu, AS Raja Natakotsavalu, Mini festival with forthcoming artists, a Mega Festival on National Eminence Award and festivals of Music, Dance and drama, a mega literary programme and the Kalabharati Dance festival as the manifest of activities conducted annually in the Kalabharati Auditorium.
Kalabharti Auditorium stands as one of the maximum occupied auditorium with more than 300 programmes in a year. Closing the year 2017, they organised the ‘Kalabharati Dance festival’ from 22nd to 24th December 2017.
The festival was inaugurated by the Executive Director in-charge HPCL, Vizag Refinery Mr. Ramanan, Mr. C.S.N. Raju , Founder President of VMDA and Sri Gummuluri Rambabu Trustee & Honourable Secretary of VMDA Kalabharati on the evening of 22nd,2017.
The programme ‘Chenchulakshmi Nrusimha Vivaham’ Kuchipudi ballet was presented by students of the Nataraj Music and Dance Academy (NMDA), Vizag led by Mr. Vikram Goud was impeccable. The performance was about the Lord Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy, the real episode of local 2nd largest temple “SIMHADRI APPANNA” situated in Simhachalam, Vizag , was spectacular and the audience thoroughly enjoyed and applauded the act.
Mr. Vikram Goud as Nrusimha Swamy enthralled the spectators with his ‘haava, bhava, ugravatharam’ of the Lord. He left an impression of the realistic representation on the stage of Kalabharati auditorium of Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha.
In the ballet, Lord Sri Mahaa Vishnu as his fourth avathara of the ‘Dasavatharalu’ comes out from a pillar and kills Hiranyasakasipa and saves his strong follower Bhakta Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakasipa. They also showcased the scene of birth of Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi as ‘Chenchulakshmi’ on the earth to pacify the aggressiveness of ‘Ugra Narasimha’ with her devoted meditation and finally marries him.
The script was written by Sri Rambhatla Nrismha Sarma a Nandi Awardee. music was composed by Dr. Dwaram Tyagaraju and choreography & direction was by KV Lakshmi . They presented the ballet very lively and enthusiastically. The script , music and choreography was were very good and everybody performed up to the expectations of the audience. Participation of young dancers left an impression that the NMDA(Natraj Music and Dance Academy) is doing its duty of preserving and passing on our traditions to next generation. Secretary of the Kalabharati Auditorium appreciated Mr. Vikram Goud and all the other artists for their fabulous performances.
The next programme of the day was a solo Bhartnatyam performance by Mrs. C.S.Veena , the founder Director of Kalasampada Kendra, Bangalore. Her graceful performance mesmerised the audience. Her ‘nritta, nrutya, abhinaya, sanchari bhavam’ were perfect to the core, which illustrated her experience in the Bharatnatyam Dance form.
THE SECOND DAY OF THE FESTIVAL
A Kuchipudi Ballet ‘SRI LALITHA BHANDASURA CHARITAM’ was presented by Kuchipudi Kala Kendram , Visakhapatnam. Eminent Guru ‘Kala Ratna’ Smt. A. Balakondala Rao, who was a disciple of Padma Bhushan ‘Dr. Vempati China Satyam’. Smt. Amukta Malyada Anand as ‘Sri Lalitha Devi’ and Sri Aditya Bulli Brahmam as ‘Bhandasura’ have made the ballet as lively performance. The whole episode was was choreographed by Smt. A. Balakondala Rao was composed of scenes with the “burning Manmadha in to ashes with Parama Shiva Sapam, being reborn as Bhandasura, and his meditation to acquire a boon of life untill 60,000 years from Lord Shiva and finally the birth of Goddess Sri lalitha from Yaga Havan and killing Bhandasura with Apara Shakti; marrying Parama Shiva”. The episode was exemplary; where the spell bound audience gave a standing ovation in appreciation of the excellent Kuchipudi Ballet.
THE THIRD DAY OF THE FESTIVAL
On the 3rd day of the festival, Devadasi Nrityam ‘BHAMA KALAPAM’ was presented by Smt Yashoda Thakore, the founder director of Rindra Sampradaya Kuchipudi Dance Academy in Hyderabad. Mrs. Yashoda Thakore enacted the role of Satyabhama and was presented in 4 parts. The first part introducing her as satyabhama, the second writing a letter to Lord Krishna inviting him to her palace, the third part on the denial of her request, where she herself goes personally to request Lord Krishna honouring him with golden flowers and Lord Krishna accepting her. The entire episode was an old traditional ‘devadasi nrutyam’ and was performed by Guru Yasodha and her disciples, Ms. Sirisha as Madhavi, Ms. Alekhya as Champaka and Sri Hari as Krishna was an eye treat and applauded well by the gathering.
The second programme was the ‘Kuchipudi group performance’ by the Students of Kalabharati School of Music and Dance. As an invocative item, they performed on Lord Ganesh then an item on Shiva Sambho, Varnam and concluded with a Tillana of Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna.
Mr. C.S.N.Raju, Dr. S. Vijaya Kumar, Mr. M.S.N. Raju, Mr. Pyda Krishna Prasad and many have graced their presence throughout the festival days.
The Trustee and Honorable Secretary Sri G.R.K. Prasad (Ram babu) explaining the entire story of the each ballet before commencement of the programme every day which has really prepared the audience to understand about the ballet was impressive. The secretary said that VMDA-Kalabharti is a neither charitable nor profitable organisation and committed to promote, preserve and inculcate our rich art forms to the next generation. He also made an appeal to the audience to become members in the academy and support the cause.
