In an otherwise female worshipped art form, Bharatanatyam dancer Pramod Kumar Reddy started Gandharva – a male dance festival in 2016, with a purpose to felicitate the work and contribution of men towards the Indian classical dance forms, which won laurels for him. With over 250 performances across the length and breadth of the country, and shows in US and the world, Pramod Reddy began learning dance at the age of 10 under Guru Manjula Srinivas of Hyderabad. He also successfully completed his Certification and Diploma from the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University. In a bid to have a stronghold on the dance form, Pramod underwent advanced training in dance choreography under Natya Kala Saraswati Guru Chitra Narayanan.
Under the banner of Abhinetri Arts Academy, Pramod Reddy has conducted numerous dance workshops, regular and advanced training classes in Bharatanatyam. The thematic representations Krishnatva, Balagopala Charitam, Rukmini Kalyanam, Govindam Bhaje – a unique amalgamation of music and dance which emphasizes the state of being Krishna speak volumes of his creativity. His ballet Shivoham, describes the legend of immortals who is the central figure of the holy trinity and who is epitome of devotion, spirituality and Vedic knowledge.
To highlight the Temples of Telangana, Pramod presented Telangana Punyakshetralu, which showcased the devotional, spiritual, aesthetic, integrated values and beliefs associated with each temple. Maithreem Bhajate spoke about the unsung tale of friendship between Rama & Sugreeva, Krishna & Gopalakas, Duryodhana & Karna, which were intertwined with beautiful jathis and music.
Other initiatives launched by Pramod Reddy include Natya Pravaha- a dance festival focussing on the traditional Bharatanatya Margam started in 2013 has served as an excellent platform for about 50 budding artists. During the lockdown period in 2020, the artist conducted the festival online in May for three days with young artistes. In 2014, he launched Pranam, which is a tribute to the lineage of gurus and the lineage of art form. He says that this event is conducted once in every two years, to embrace and enhance the importance of Guru to the next generation.
In 2014, he launched Tyagaraja Aradhana Utsavam, a collaborative tribute to Saint Tyagaraja from the entire fraternity of both dance and music, to worship and celebrate Saint Tyagaraja for his ardent and adroit literary works. This is an annual event, he says. Pramod launched Seekathon in 2018, to quench the thirst of seeking knowledge on multiple aspects related to study of dance by dance experts.
A Graded Artist by Doordarshan Kendra, Pramod Kumar Reddy works as a bio-statistician for Dr. Reddy’s.