Dance debuts in and of themselves are exciting – you get to see someone with a true passion for dance perform a difficult repertoire accompanied by brilliant music. But if the debutante is your best friend, things get infinitely more exciting, and such was the case on June 16 as my closest friend Susmitha Saripalli presented a dazzling Kuchipudi Rangapravesam.

Being with her every step of the way, I know how hard Susmitha worked to get to this stage. She started her official Rangapravesam training late last year, with the sessions intensifying within the last month. But her true Rangapravesam journey started six years ago, when she first stepped into Smt. Sailaja Chaudary’s class. Susmitha and her guru share a unique relationship, one that is almost maternal.  A fantastic and acclaimed dancer herself, she always brought out the best in Susmitha and last week’s show was no different.

Susmitha started off with the traditional Ganesha Pancharatnam followed by the Jathiswaram. In both pieces the audience got a sense of the grace and beauty of the Kuchipudi style. These were followed by the evergreen Krishna Shabdam. This piece showed how strong Susmitha’s abhinaya was – her portrayal of a nayika waiting for Lord Krishna was highly believable.

Muthuswami Dikshitar’s stuthi Kanchadalayathakshi followed, where Susmitha enacted a scene between Shiva, Parvathi, and Kama, which explained the origin of Parvathi’s other name – Kamakshi. The piece de resistance of the repertoire came next, called Govardhana Giridhari. This item incorporated all aspects of Kuchipudi: movements, expressions, and even the well-recognized Tarangam, danced on the edges of a brass plate. Here, complicated jathis alternated with episodes describing Lord Krishna’s naughtiness and divinity. A creative pose depicting Krishna’s lifting of the Govardana mountain (using the brass plate) ended the bright first half of the program.

After a brief intermission, Saint Thyagaraja’s Jagadananda Karaka opened the remainder of the show. The complexity of the jathis in this piece showed Susmitha’s dedication and stamina, as the high-energy piece ran nearly 25 minutes. Tandavam followed, in which Susmitha donned Rudraksha beads to represent the celestial dance of Lord Shiva. A fog machine truly replicated the Himalayan atmosphere of Shiva’s dance. Susmitha returned to the stage as Alimelu Manga in Annamacharya’s Tiru Tiru Javarala. This joyous item brought forth the grace of the goddess. A Javali, followed by the Venkateswara mangalam, concluded the evening. The former was titled Vaani Pondu Chaalu Vaddanne and described the agony of a wife with an unfaithful husband. Susmitha showed her command of abhinaya once more, before ending the program vibrantly, and to a standing ovation.

All of this would not have been possible without her guru, Smt. Sailaja Chaudary. Smt. Sailaja is a disciple of Padmashree Dr. Sobha Naidu and is the director of Sri Kuchipudi Natyalaya. She has a master’s degree in dance and has received many awards and titles. She is also committed to dancing for the greater good, and has been a part of many programs for charity. With her dance school, Smt. Sailaja hopes to inspire her students to foster their interests in dance to a level of excellence.

The success of the program is due, in no small way, to the orchestra. The vocalist Smt. Neela Ramanuja gave her mellifluous voice as the background of the program, while the guru Smt. Sailaja provided the sharp nattuvangam. Kala Sri N.G. Ravi’s mridangam served as the rhythm for the evening, while Sri Shaktidhar’s flute brought all of the Krishna pieces alive. Finally, Sri Karthik Vydhatri, with the rhythm pads, added special effects to the music, from flowing water to the ringing of temple bells.

I congratulate Susmitha on an excellent dance debut, and I look forward to dancing alongside her in the future.

Review by: Sujatha Meyyappan

"The evening of Kuchipudi Arangetram of Sushmitha Saripalli was very entertaining. Sushmitha captivated the audience with her brilliant expressions. The repertoire selections were perfect with the right blend of Nritta, Nritya & Natya components. My favorite item of the evening was the Govardhana Giridhara, in which Sushmitha's Abinaya was outstanding and kudos to the wonderful choreography of her guru Smt. Sailaja depicting the mischievous pranks of Lord Krishna. The piece on Tarangam, a brass plate was executed perfectly by Sushmita. I should also mention that the make-up done by her guru was impeccable. Overall it was very well planned and executed Rangapravesam."

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