this item is the hallmark of Dr. Raja Reddy. In it, he master- fully intersects non-stop aggressive, powerful technique with calm emotional stability, earning him the title of “Black Shiva.” Less than five students in the entire Natya Tarangini dance school have performed this item as his daughter Yamini Reddy, who describes Shiva Dance as “an atomic bomb”, mostly performs it. Sindhu was given this rare opportunity by the Gurus. According to Sindhu, this was the most difficult dance she ever had to perform. In it, she, as Shiva, describes the five-fold cosmic activities of the Lord - Creation, Preservation, Destruction, Abode of the Soul and Salvation. Third, was Bhamakalapam , a sringara kavya . As a stark contrast to the Shiva Dance, a powerful mastery of formi- dable nritya and nrutya (expressions and technique), Bhama Kalapam heavily relied on feminine emotion. Siddhendra Yogi’s Bhama kalapam describes Krishna’s famously arrogant wife, Satyabhama. This piece – inter- weaving jatis, verses, and Telugu dialogue -- demonstrated the traditional, theater-style format of kuchipudi. Dr. Raja Reddy himself came on stage to become the endearing Madhavi, Satyabhama’s best friend, in a teasing conversa- tion with Satyabhama about her husband. The defining thread of this piece is the expressions. To her guru, Padmabhushan Raja Reddy, Sindhu is born to dance. “Her expressions and dance are truly mes- merizing,” he says. “God chooses a few people to promote art and culture. Sindhu is one of them. I am very proud that I am her teacher. Her dialogue delivery, her dedication to dance and her hard work always amazes me.” Following Bhamakalapam was Saason Ki Maala , a Sufi song written in the 16th century, and sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This song explains the devotional, unrelenting love of the narrator for their lover. It is an example of how kuchipudi, a South Indian form, uses other national lan- guages to convey its message.
The decorations, which went well with the majestic ambience of the hall and the stage effects brought in by the theater’s tech team headed by Claudia Goodsell and by Sandeep Dutta , member of Natya Tarangini, flown in from India for this special purpose, captured the hearts of many. “While all items are mind-blowing, the tech effects of Shiva Dance and the Taraana Dance are spell binding,” said Lata from Fremont, who teaches dance at Aerodance. “I have never seen anything like this before,” she exclaimed. Nalini Mohan of Cupertino felt that Sindhu’s dance and her speech were something he would treasure and take back with him as his memories. “Sometimes when people ask me about dance pro- grams I would have to talk about the decorations, which would often be taller than the performances. This time the dance outshined everything else! Decorations blended with the hall. Sindhu was an amazing, a stunning performer. Her dance and speech are etched in mhy memory.” Sunanda Gadigottu, instructor, Art of Living, summed it all up with her keen observans. “Sindhu's rangapravesam is a true entry onto the stage of artistic universe! The setting was a feast to the senses. Beyond all of that I deeply appreciate the beauty and grace with which Sindhu performed. I had experienced Raja and Radha Reddy's art form as a young woman. Sindhu imbibed their fluid and unique style and performed with so much poise! I had tears in my eyes with her Sita and Tarana. Lots of blessings to her!” said The Show Pieces The show started out with Ganpati Vandana (Hari Duri Gajamukha) – an item praising Lord Ganesha. For the suc- cess of a rangapravesam, it is customary to commence with a prayer to the Ganesha, the elephant-headed god whose gifted with the power to remove all obstacles. Following the first item was Shiva Dance. Historically,
L-R: Manohar Balatchandirane(Mridangam), Guru Kaushalya Reddy (nattuvangam) Deevi Ravikanth (Carnatic vocal), Guru Prasath(violin), Dr. Manda Anantha Krishna (flute) Missing in picture: Madhvi Mehta (Hindustani Vocal)
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