During Covid times to enthuse the students, Pallavi Academy of Fine Arts organised Srujana – short creative choreographies by students on Sunday July 4, 2021. The two-and-a-half-hour programme was telecast live on YouTube. The programme began with lighting of the lamp by Academy Principal, Smt. P B Krishna Bharathi. Kuchipudi dancer P B Vaishnavi began the proceedings with introduction of the distinguished guests – Dr. S K Venkata Charyulu and judges Sri S K Raghava Charyulu and Smt. Pallavi Madabushi. Addressing the students and their parents, Dr. Venkata Charyulu said that thanks to technology, even during the pandemic one was keeping touch through online programmes and teaching. He appreciated the fact that the children were given a chance to exhibit their talent in choreographies at the beginning of their learning stages. Smt. Pallavi too agreed that the young students were lucky to get a chance to choreograph early.
The Academy gave chance to all learners. The tiny tots recited slokas and did abhinaya too. Some of them did their own nattuvangam to their jattis, which was a treat to watch. Before the Srujana section commenced, the judges – Sri Raghava Charyulu and Smt. Pallavi Madabushi said that all children should participate in a competitive spirit. There may be just a degree of variation between each participant, they had stated. Vaishnavi announced that the music track for some choreographies were from Kids Karnatik Jayanthi Kumaresh, a private album and sitar piece by Anoushka Shankar.
Some of the pieces presented in Srujana were stories one would have heard as a child, mainly ‘The Ant & Grasshopper’, ‘Monkey & the Crocodile’, ‘The Lion and the Mouse’, ‘The Peacock and the Cuckoo’, ‘The Story of Frogs’ and the pure dance numbers – ‘The descent of Ganga’ and ‘Sri Krishna Tulabharam’. Before announcing the awards, Sri Raghava Charyulu told the participants not to be disappointed or discouraged. Smt. Pallavi congratulated the parents also, who recorded their children’s performance and helped in getting them dressed.
The first prize went to ‘Sri Krishna Tulabharam’, second to ‘The Descent of Ganga’, third was bagged by ‘The Peacock and the Cuckoo’ for their beautiful costume, fourth was won by ‘The Story of Frogs’ for the nice settings and Consolation prize went to ‘The Ant & The Grasshopper’. Principal Smt. Krishna Bharathi thanked Sai Kavya Sathineni for all the behind scenes work and Keerthana for the programme poster. The programme ended with Mangalam and the principal announcing that very soon they will have an online programme for senior students.