Kuchipudi

About the Kuchipudi:

• Kuchipudi is a classical dance from Kusselavapuri/Kuchelapuram village in Andhra Pradesh, blending tandava and lasya elements, primarily involving earth.
• It includes three components: Nritta, Natya, and Nritya, and is performed in two forms: traditional dance-drama and solo dance.
• This dance form is related to Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi, evolving from Nattuva Mela and Natya Mela respectively, with themes often drawn from Jaidev’s Ashthapadi, Ramayana, Bhagavat Purana, and Tyagaraja’s compositions.
• Siddhendra Yogi, a 17th-century Vaishnava poet, formalized and systematized Kuchipudi as a style of Yakshagaana, which was patronized by the rulers of Vijayanagara and Golconda.
• Prominent figures in Kuchipudi include Padmabhushan Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, Radha Reddy, Raja Reddy, Lakshmi Narayana Shastry, Yamini Krishnamurthy, and Indrani Rahman.
• Female performers wear a saree with a fan-shaped cloth in front and a stitched Pallu at the back, adorned with ornaments like Rakudi, Chandra Vanki, Adda Bhasa & Kasina Sara, and Ghungroos.
• The principal instruments used in performances are based on Carnatic music, including the Violin/Veena, Cymbal, and Mridgangam.

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