KUCHIPUDI
 Kuchipudi, the most
popular classical dance form of India, has originated from the village ‘Kuchelapuram’
on the banks of River Krishna, in Andhra Pradesh. The technique of Kuchipudi makes
use of fast rhythmic footwork and sculpturesque body movements. The Abhinaya (stylised
mime), using hand gestures and subtle facial expression is combined with more realistic
acting, occasionally including dialogues spoken by the dancers.
Shailendra Yogi, hailing from Kuchipudi
village is said to be the father of this dance form. He gave a definite form to it and
taught it to a group of brahmin boys who handed down the tradition from generation to
generation. The dance has undergone many changes since then. Initially the dance was
performed only in the temples by groups of boys of Brahmin community called
"Bhagavatulu". But today, the dance is performed in open-air theatres and
auditoriums. Other striking change is the inclusion of women in the fold. Further change
is the emergence of solo dance, which has widened the horizons of the art giving the
artist the freedom to perform to his best.
The actual performance of the dance involves many
stage conventions. Kuchipudi is accompanied by the classical Carnatic music. A typical
orchestra for a Kuchipudi recital includes the mridangam, flute,violin and clarinet. The Sutradhara
or the conductor sings the lyrics and the nattuvar conducts the orchestra and
recites the rhythmic patterns. The performers then enter and introduce themselves to the
audience through a ‘pravesa Daruvu’. The actual performance then
continues.
Kuchipudi can thus be said to be a perfect balance of the three aspects of –
- Nritta – the rhythmic sequence
that concludes a song or a verse.
- Nritya – the sabdams or
the rhythmic passages followed by interpretations alternatively.
- Natya – the complete dance drama
with a story.
 The themes are mostly derived form the
scriptures and mythology. The classic examples of the Kuchipudi include the
"Bhamakalaapam", depicting Satyabhama in the scenes of Bhagavatha. The other is
"Tarangam", in which the performer dances to complicated rhythmic patterns on
the edges of a brass plate, with dexterity, sometimes also seen balancing a pot of water
on the head.
The performers wear a light makeup clad in typical dance dress, which at times is a
saree. They also wear typical jewelry like Ragidi worn on the head, Chandra vanki on the
hands, Adda Basa on the nose, etc. They also put on a long plait decorated with flowers.
The dance has been and is being enriched
by many renowned gurus like Vedantam Satyanarayana
Sarma, Vedantam Lakshimi Narayana, Chinta Krishna Murthy, Tadepalli Perayya, Dr. Vempati
Chinna Satyam. |
