The most taxing amongst her offerings was the last item ‘Swaralaya’ that replaced the thillana. Composed by Prema Ramamurthy in Hamsanandam ragam, Adi talam, the swarams presented a sea of complexities; some started or ended in an offbeat and the ‘nadais’ changed with every swaram. This required the collective concentration of the expert nattuvanar, C.K.Vasudevan, the skilful mridangist Shakthivel Muruganandan, the melodic vocalist Lata Ramchand and the dancer. The tension on stage was palpable, and it goes without saying that it had a happy ending.

The varnam in Sankarabarnam ragam, Adi talam, an adaptation of ‘Samiki sari yevare’ into tamil by Valli had its share of technical virtuosity, and the short arudi of the second half with its skimming-the-surface steps endeared as it dazzled. Valli was her usual effervescent self, albeit a little tired. Her interpretation of a maiden in love in the varnam was refreshingly positive, even the 'viraha' was tempered with a certain whimsicality.

For those who look forward to Valli’s exploration of ancient Tamil literature, she did not disappoint. Excerpts from Kanthimathiamman Pillai Tamizh, set in the Veena Dhanammal style of singing, was a poignant piece about a devotee addressing god as a child in the verse ‘Vaarad irindhal.’ Her playful cajolery turns serious when she realises that complete surrender is the only way to reach god. The transformation could have been handled with more care to bring home the significance. Valli has evolved her own style of abhinaya that is expressive and warm, without any emphasis on the stillness as we understand it, but effective nevertheless. In this context, the elaboration could have done with less physical movement on stage allowing her mobile face to take centre stage.

She was at her best in the depiction of the verses from the Agananoor anthology of Sangam literature, where a young lovelorn girl is cajoled by her friend to come and enjoy the beauty of nature around her. The splendour of the peacocks dancing and girls cavorting by the river was sensitively portrayed, with the lilting music composition by Prema Ramamurthy adding one more dimension to the beauty.

It came as no surprise that Valli danced to a full house. One cannot help but fall prey to her charisma and magnetism however many times one has seen it. Her expressive face dominated by big luminous eyes, and her compact figure complemented by an aesthetic dress sense creates visual beauty all at once.

The professional orchestra with luminaries like Akkarai Subbalakshmi on the violin, supported by Srinivasan on the flute was a treat to listen to. Besides being tuneful, it was a well-rehearsed orchestra that stood by Valli all the way.