Powerful tales, engaging rendition

Prateeksha Kashi, the Bengaluru-based Kuchipudi dancer enthralled the audience during the Hyderabad Arts Festival event with 'The Dancing Tales' a dance drama production choreographed by her mother and Guru Vyjayanti Kashi at CCRT auditorium on Sunday.

The show 'The Dancing Tales' has 3 parts, which include, Thandavam, story of Goddess Kanyakumari, and Princess Rani Rudramadevi’s valiant efforts to save Kakatiya Empire. Prateeksha Kashi along with her team of dancers recreated the splendour of Kuchipudi through this interestingly conceptualised production.

There are generally 108 types of Thandavam, and during the event Prateeksha performed a few of them along with other four other dancers. Following Thandavam, she showcased the life story of two women who have glorified the history of India. The story of Kanyakumari, the slayer of the demon, Banasura and the story of Rudramma Devi, the ruler of Kakatiya dynasty– one a legend, and another from the pages of history.

The rendition can be called an important addition to the Kuchipudi repertoire. And the young dancer, who is increasingly gaining fame across the world showcased her abhinaya skills and it was a visual delight to watch her enact and shift between various expressions with aplomb. The one-hour performance was indeed, spell-binding.

By Sateesh Reddy