Report

An evening of splendor

July 17, 2006

It was an evening of splendor on 3rd July 2006 at the SSVT Auditorium in Maryland.

Samhitha Kumar a 16-year-old budding artist in Kuchipudi style captured the audience and stole their hearts with her Bhamakalapam. She opened her recital with Ganesha Stuthi in ragam Sankarabaranam, followed by Bhamakalapam in ragam Bhairavi, Mahalakshmi in ragam Thodi, Koluvaiyunnade in ragam Atana.

The confidence and charm portrayed by this young adolescent was beyond belief. Her footwork was without blemish.

It is so fulfilling to see that kids born and brought up in the west have the same zeal and enthusiasm to pursue classical dance and music as the kids in India. Students like Samhitha are great role models to the children of both east and west. There is no fear that the culture will be lost in the west as these kids sustain the art and promote it to the next generation.

Samhitha will be presenting a recital in Chennai on Jan 6, 2007 at the Music Academy mini hall. She is the student of Kalamandapam established in the 1993 by Mrinalini Sadananda in the Washington Metropolis.