DO YOU KNOW ABOUT KUCHIPUDI DANCE
Kuchipudi is the classical dance form from the South-East Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh. It
originated in the seventh century. It
derives its name from the village of Kuchelapuram, a small village about 65 kms
from Vijaywada. It is known for its graceful movements and its strong
narrative / dramatic character.
There is a legend concerning the origins of Kuchipudi. It is said that there was once an orphan
of Srikakulam who was raised by the village. These kind people had him
married at childhood as was the custom of the time. However, for his
training he went to Udipi for Vedic studies. During his study he acquired
the name Sidhendra Yogi.
After a time he returned to Srikakulam. However, the village
elders ordered him to go to his wife's house to assume his family
responsibilities. On the journey he came upon a river. As he was
swimming across the river he suddenly realised that he could swim no
further. He then prayed to God to give him the strength to make it across.
He did make it, and upon reaching the shore he vowed to become a sanyasi (renunciate) and devote his life to
religious affairs.
He then settled in the
village of Kuchelapuram and started teaching. Here, he instructed Brahmin
boys in devotional dance dramas based upon religious themes. These
religious plays were presented as offerings to God in the tradition of the Natya Shastra.
Kuchipudi flourished as a
dramatic form of dance for hundreds of years. It was held in high esteem
by the rules of the Deccan. For instance Tana Shah in 1678 granted the
lands around Kuchipudi to the Brahmins who performed the dance.
Modern Kuchipudi acquired its present form in the 20th
century. A number of people were responsible for moving it from the
villages to the performance stage. One of the most notable was guru
Lakshminarayan Shastry. After him, a number of other luminaries would
mould it into its present shape. Some notable names are Vempati Chinna
Satyam, C.R. Acharyalu, and Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna.
