Bhavana Gowri & team entertains with 'Stories of Rama'

With Deepawali just a week away, the Maya Dance Company led by Founder and Principal Choroegrapher Bhavana Gowri Penubolu, showcased their production Bharatanatyam recital "Stories of Rama," at the beautiful open air amphitheatre at Shilparamam, Uppal.

Bhavana's artistic choreography was energetic, creative, graceful and full of life. The theme of "Stories of Rama" was a good repertoire of dances performed by Basava Sourabh, Dr Nikhila Reddy, Ananya Mehta, and Bhavana Gowri and beautifully strung together by the narrator Indira Penubolu.

Bhavana says that "Indira Penubolu, who is also the artistic manager of Maya Dance Company, carried us in a pallanquin through rehearsals and the performance". Indira anchored the entire production with her soothing voice, clear diction and weaved the beautiful stories of Rama together. The chief guest, city's leading Gynaecologist, Dr L Jayanthi Reddy- Director Of JJ hospitals, enjoyed the show so much that she struck a pose with the dancers as she herself was a bharatnatyam dancer as well and mentioned that she'd like to dance with the Maya Dance Company in their next production. In her vote of thanks, Dr Manorama Kanuri, Scientist and Ex- HOD Telangana State University voiced her recognition to the entire Maya Dance Company Team.

The invocatory song- Ganapathy Vandana in Hamsadhwani, was a befitting enactment of the dancers seeking the blessings of the Vighnaraja and the movements were very endearing.

The next dance depicting Bhakta Ramadasu in his mix of emotions of plight, love, anger and despair seeking the blessings of his master lord Rama was very well expressed both in Abhinayaa and nritya by Bhavana in a solo piece.

Thereafter, Sita Swayamvaram, an all time favourite, was depicted so clearly and beautifully that it had the audience in raptures. Dr. Nikhila's portrayal of one of the funny contenders was endearing and had the audience in splits of laughter, while Bhavana's enactment of Ravana trying in vain to lift lord Shiva's bow and his anger was powerful and strong and left audience in goosebumps . Though the song composition was in tamil, it was understood by the audience with very pleasing Lord Rama played by Sourabh winning over Sita played by Ananya.

The grand portrayal of Jaganandakaaraka the pancharatna kriti of Saint Thyagaraja was the highlight of the production. The dancers presented brisk Jatis, innovated by changing roles and yet conveyed the representation very well. The nice contemporary twist in music for this kriti surprised the classical listener but was pleasant and refreshing. The postures and poses of the group were very beautiful, eye-catching and well co-ordinated. This piece obviously won the hearts of the audience. The Maya Dance Company concluded with a famous Thillana set in Kadanakuthuhlam, which surely showed their energy, rhythmic perfection, the practise and devotion these talented young artistes have put in.