Rajesh is lithe and supple. His excellent sense of timing, and his good footwork, kept him in control throughout. Where he erred was his lack of 'araimandi.' An essential component of the technique of nritta, it cannot be emphasized enough. It is as vital as, say, posture or carriage. In the forefront of the excellent orchestra was Shantha Dhananjayan with nattuvangam, supported by: N..Sashidharan, vocal, Kalaiarasan, violin, D.Sashidhar, flute, Sheejith Krishna, mridangam, and Lakshmi Narayanan, tambura. The musicians were all in fine mettle, with special mention for the mridangist, who is a dancer himself.

The dancer commenced with 'Gambhira natya Ganapathy' in Gambhira Nattai ragam, Adi talam. The varnam 'Mohana Krishna', that followed, was lively in its choreography. It was Dhananjayan's composition in Mohanam ragam, Adi talam, in Sanskrit and Malayalam.. The jathis were challenging with regard to the interwoven adavus and their pace, but Rajesh was able to carry it off with well-rehearsed ease. Shantha's nattuvangam was firm without aggression, a welcome change from the typical. The sancharis in the varnam described Guruvayoor Krishna and his divinity. The 40-minute item did not contain any dull moments. The credit goes to the teachers and their pupil jointly.

'Shankara vazhi maraithirukithe malai poll' in Thodi ragam, a composition of Gopalakrishna Bharathiar, was a good choice for Rajesh to establish his efficacy in abhinaya. Nandanar, a devotee, voyages from far to catch a glimpse of Lord Shiva. To his dismay, he finds the idol of Nandi blocking his vision. Being an untouchable, he is not allowed inside the precincts of the temple. In despair, he breaks down. Suddenly, Nandanar finds the statue of Nandi moved to a side, and he is able to view the deity clearly. His joy knows no bounds. Rajesh's eyes were especially expressive in the role of a despairing, helpless devotee. The recital wound up with a thillana in Kannada ragam, Sankeernam talam, a composition of G.Gopalakrishnan. The dancer's nritta was a delight to behold. The entire recital was very professional show, indicative of the dancer's serious interest in the art.