Among the dance styles referred to as Classical, Kuchipudi is perhaps one of the less represented forms within the city. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, in collaboration with the department of information and cultural affairs, presented Kuchipudi at Sisir Mancha on March 26 by Madhuri Majumdar and her troupe. The presentation comprised dance pieces, solo, duets, and group performances.

The evening began with an invocation to ganapati by a group of three dancers, after which Majumdar presented rukmini pravesham. Her solo pieces included an ashtapadi and a padam. The performance, choreographed by Vempatti Chinna Satyam, exemplified his technique of weaving into the fabric of a simple melody intricate and terse time-structures on the one hand, and imaginative visuals on the other.

Apart from these, Majumdar also presented a tarana, composed in vrindavani sarang. However, both the rendering of the raga and its treatment were in the Carnatic style, thus turning the performance into an adaptation rather than an attempt to blend different art traditions. The choreography for this particular piece was composed by Majumdar. It borrowed heavily from the Kuchipudi tradition of dancing tarangams in which the dancer balances herself on the edges of a brass plate.

Vrindavana nilaye, performed by Soma Dev and Maitrayee Mukherjee, displayed the skills and techniques of the individual performers as they handled the gati bhedas and jatis.

There other dancers in the troupe — Gautam Chowdhury, Mou Mukherjee and Sagni Majumdar — performed the concluding tillana in Hindolam.

Unfortunately, the dancers differed in terms of maturity and experience, and it was not altogether clear why they were chosen to put up the piece in unison.