Kuchipudi () (

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named

Kuchipudi Kuchipudi () ( Telugu: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sa ...

in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of

Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...

. It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India. Evidence of Kuchipudi's existence in an older version are found in copper inscriptions of the 10th century, and by the 15th century in texts such as the ''Machupalli Kaifat''. Kuchipudi tradition holds that Tirtha Narayana Yati – a sanyassin of

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ...

persuasion,Krishna Chaitanya (1987), "Arts of India.", pages.74 and his disciple, an orphan named Siddhendra Yogi, founded and systematized the modern version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century. Kuchipudi largely developed as a

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

-oriented

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as ...

tradition, and it is known by the name of

Bhagavata Mela Bhagavata Mela is a classical Indian dance that is performed in Tamil Nadu, particularly the Thanjavur area. It is choreographed as an annual Vaishnavism tradition in Melattur and nearby regions, and celebrated as a dance-drama performance art ...

in Thanjavur. The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in ''Agnivastra'', also known as ''Bagalbandi'', wear a ''dhoti'' (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist). A dancer in a female role would wear a ''Sari'' with light makeup. The Kuchipudi performance usually begins with an invocation. Then, each costumed actor is introduced, their role stated, and they then perform a short preliminary dance set to music (''dharavu''). Next, the performance presents pure dance (''nritta''). This is followed with by the expressive part of the performance (''

nritya Nritya (), also referred to as Nritta, Nritta, Natana or Natya, refers to "dance, act on the stage, act, gesticulate, play" in the Indian traditions. Vocal and instrumental

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It ...

in the Telugu language accompanies the performance. The typical musical instruments in Kuchipudi are

mridangam The mridangam is a percussion instrument of ancient origin. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion instrument. A related instrument is th ...

cymbals A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedles ...

and the tambura. The popularity of Kuchipudi has grown within India and it is performed worldwide.

Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

Kuchipudi is named after the village in

Krishna district Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the ...

of Andhra Pradesh named

– shortened form of the full name Kuchelapuram or Kuchilapuri – where it developed. The name of village, states Ragini Devi, is itself derived from Sanskrit ''Kusilava-puram'', which means "the village of actors". ''Kusilava'' is a term found in ancient Sanskrit texts and refers to "traveling bard, dancer, newsmonger".

History

Flickr - dalbera - Danseuses de Kuchipudi (musée Guimet)

Kuchipudi, like other classical dance forms in India, traces its roots to the Sanskrit

, a foundational treatise on the performing arts. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance (

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text, are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures.; Also see chapter 36 The dance-drama tradition in Andhra Pradesh is of ancient origins, and the region is mentioned in the ''Natya Shastra''. Bharata Muni credits a graceful movement to Andhra region and discusses it as ''Kaishiki vritti''. The pre-2nd century CE text calls one raga as ''Andhri'', that is from Andhra. The Andhri, is related to ''Gandhari'' and ''Arsabhi'', and is discussed in many other 1st millennium Sanskrit texts. Some, state Bruno Nettle and others, place the origins of Kuchipudi to 3rd century BCE. Dance-drama performance arts related to

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

, in Telugu-speaking parts of South India, are evidenced in 10th-century copper inscriptions, and these were called ''Brahmana Melas'' or ''Brahma Melas''. The medieval era dance-drama performance artists were

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

s. This art was likely adopted by the musical and dancing Bhakti traditions of

which grew in the 2nd millennium, whose devotees were called ''Bhagavatulu'' in Andhra region and ''Bhagavatars'' in Tamil region of south India. In Andhra, this performance art evolved into Kuchipudi, while in Tamil Nadu it became known as ''Bhagavata Mela Nataka''. According to Saskia Kersenboom, both the Telugu Kuchipudi and Tamil Bhagavata Mela are strongly related to the classical Hindu dance tradition of ''Yakshagana'' found in Karnataka, all three involve Carnatic music, but these dance-drama traditions have differences such as in costumes, structure, interpretation and creative innovations. Portrait of Siddhendra Yogi

According to Manohar Varadpande, the Kuchipudi dance emerged in the late 13th century, when

Ganga The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

rulers from

Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writin ...

were patrons of performance arts based on the 12th-century Sanskrit scholar Jayadeva, particularly the Gita Govinda. This royal sponsorship, states Varadpande, encouraged many poets and dance-drama troupes to adopt Radha-Krishna themes into the then prevailing versions of classical Kuchipudi. These were regionally called Vaishnava ''Bhagavatulu''. The modern version of Kuchipudi is attributed to Tirtha Narayanayati, a 17th-century Telugu

sanyasin ''Sannyasa'' ( Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' ...

persuasion and particularly his disciple, a Telugu

orphan named Sidhyendra Yogi. Tirtha Narayanayati authored ''

Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini is a Tarangini (music), tarangini or a Sanskrit opera authored by Narayana Teertha. The songs are in chaste Sanskrit and clear diction and are rich in poetic quality. Tarangini is an opera highly suitable for dance dr ...

'' and introduced sequences of rhythmic dance syllables at the end of the cantos, he wrote this work as a libretto for a dance-drama. Narayanayati lived for a while in the

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the ...

district and presented the dance-drama in the

temple. Narayanayati's disciple, Sidhyendra Yogi, followed up with another play, the ''Parijatapaharana'', more commonly known as the ''Bhama Kalapam''. When Sidhyendra Yogi finished the play, he had trouble finding suitable performers. So he went to Kuchelapuram, the village of his wife's family and present-day

, where he enlisted a group of young

boys to perform the play. According to the tradition, Sidhyendra requested and the villagers agreed to perform the play once a year, and this came to be known as Kuchipudi.

Late medieval period

Kuchipudi enjoyed support from medieval era rulers. Copper inscriptions suggest that the dance-drama was seen by the royalty and was influential by 1502 and through the late 16th century. The court records of the

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...

– known for its patronage of the arts – indicate that drama-dance troupes of ''Bhagavatas'' from Kuchipudi village performed at the royal court.However, various historical inscriptions often indicate that this dance form can be tracked back to the first century BCE. The region saw wars and political turmoil with Islamic invasions and the formation of Deccan Sultanates in the 16th century., Quote: "(...) the last Golconda ruler Abul Hasan, known as Tana Shah, who was credited with reviving the dying art of the Kuchipudi dance". With the fall of Vijayanagara Empire and the destruction of temples and Deccan cities by the Muslim army around 1565, musicians and dance-drama artists migrated south, and Tanjore kingdom records suggest some 500 such Kuchipudi artist families arrived from Andhra, were welcomed and granted land by the Hindu king Achyutappa Nayak, a settlement that grew to become modern Melattur near Tanjore (also called

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the ...

). Not everyone left the old Andhra village of Kuchipudi, and those remaining became the sole custodians of its tradition in Andhra. Kuchipudi declined and was a dying art in 17th-century Andhra, but in 1678, the last Shia Muslim

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

Golkonda Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...

Abul Hasan Tani Shah Abul is an Arabic names, Arabic masculine name, masculine given name. It may refer to: * Abul Kalam Azad * Abul A'la Maududi * Abul Khair (disambiguation), several people * Abul Abbas (disambiguation), several people * Abul Hasan (poet), Abul Hasan ...

, saw a Kuchipudi performance and was so pleased that he granted the dancers lands around the Kuchipudi village, with the stipulation that they continue the dance-drama. The Shia Sultanate was overthrown in 1687 by the Sunni Mughal Emperor

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

. In order to regulate public and private morals, as well as end un-Islamic practices, Aurangzeb banned public performances of all music and dance arts, along with ordering the confiscation and destruction of musical instruments in Indian subcontinent under control of his

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

Colonial rule period

After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire collapsed, Hindu rebellion sprouted in many parts of India, including the Deccan region. In the second half of the 18th century, during this period of political turmoil, the colonial Europeans arrived, the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

was formed by the East Indian Company officials and became part of the British Empire. Andhra was part of the Madras Presidency. During the colonial era, Hindu arts and traditions such as dance-drama were ridiculed. Christian missionaries and British officials stereotyped and denigrated dancers, calling Indian classical dances as evidence of a tradition of "harlots, debased erotic culture, slavery to idols and priests". Christian missionaries launched the "anti-dance movement" in 1892, to ban all such dance forms. The anti-dance camp accused the various classical Indian dance forms as a front for prostitution, while revivalists questioned the constructed histories by the colonial writers. In 1910, the

of the British Empire altogether banned temple dancing. Kuchipudi, which was traditionally staged at night on a stage attached to a Hindu temple, was impacted and like all classical Indian dances declined during the colonial rule period. After the ban, many Indians protested against the caricature and cultural discrimination, launching their efforts to preserve and reinvigorate their culture. Due to these efforts from 1920s onwards, the classical Indian dances witnessed a period of renaissance. Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri (1886–1956) was the influential figure who led the effort to save, reconstruct and revive Kuchipudi performance art. Sastri worked closely with other revivalists, between 1920 and 1950, particularly Balasaraswati and others determined to save and revive

Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

Modern period

The three influential figures in Kuchipudi, during the first half of twentieth century, were Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri, Vempati Venkatanarayana Sastri and Chinta Venkataramayya. Sastri focused on reviving and relaunching Kuchipudi after classical Hindu dances came under sustained ridicule and political degradation in the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, while Venkataramayya was influential in productions for public performances and developing specialized forms of Yakshagana – another classical Indian dance, and Kuchipudi. Sastri is also remembered for encouraging and teaching Indian women to dance Kuchipudi as solo performers and in teams, as well as working with artists of other classical dances such as the Bharatanatyam that enabled the sharing and cross flow of ideas. Vempati Venkatanarayana Sastri was the guru of Sastri, taught him Kuchipudi, and was a key figure in helping preserve Kuchipudi. The historic All India Dance Seminar, organized by the national arts organization Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1958, thrust Kuchipudi to the national stage. Some Western dancers joined the Indians in preserving dance. The American dancer Esther Sherman, for example, moved to India in 1930, learnt Indian classical dances, changed her name to Ragini Devi, and joined the movement to save and revive classical Indian dances. Her daughter Indrani Bajpai (

Indrani Rahman Indrani Rahman (19 September 1930, Chennai – 5 February 1999, New York) was an Indian classical dancer of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi, which she popularised in the west, and later settled in New York in 1976. In 1952, s ...

) learnt and became a celebrated Kuchipudi dancer. The public performances of Kuchipudi by

and

Yamini Krishnamurti Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy (born 20 December 1940) is an Indian dancer of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles of dancing. Early life Yamini Krishnamurthy was born in Madanapalli, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. She was brought up in Chida ...

outside of Andhra region, created wider enthusiasm and more interest through new students and the expansion of Kuchipudi as a creative performance art both within India and internationally. The latter half of the twentieth century was dominated by the Kuchipudi school of

Vempati Chinna Satyam Vempati Chinna Satyam (15 October 1929 – 29 July 2012) was an Indian dancer and a guru of the Kuchipudi dance form. Chinna Satyam was born in a brahmin family at Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh. He was taught by Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry ...

, whose efforts to further codify the modern repertoire earned him multiple accolades, including the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

. Some of the Indian movie actresses such as

Hema Malini Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successfu ...

started their career as a Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. Kuchipudi performances have now spread world-wide.

Repertoire

Kuchipudi is a team performance, with roots in Hindu religious festivals. The drama-dance involves extensive stage movements and exacting footwork, wherein the underlying drama is mimed by expressive gestures of hand (mudras), eye and face movements. The expressive style is through a

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign ...

that follows the classical pan-Indian Sanskrit texts such as ''Natya Shastra'', ''Abhinaya Darpana'' and ''Nrityararnavali''. The dance is accompanied with Carnatic music, while the recital is in Telugu language. Just like the Carnatic music style, Kuchipudi shares many postures and expressive gestures with Bharatanatyam, such as the ''Ardhamandali'' (half seating position or a partial squat, legs bent or knees flexed out). However, there are important differences, such as Bharatanatyam as a Hindu temple tradition trending towards geometric perfection and the spiritual, while Kuchipudi as a Hindu festival tradition trending towards more sensual supple and the folksy. Traditionally the traveling dance troupe consisted entirely of men (often

s), who moved from village to village, and performed on a stage set next to a Hindu temple. The male artists would dress up and act out the female role in a drama performed by these traveling troupes. In modern times, Kuchipudi has diversified, women have joined Kuchipudi dance, outnumber male artists, and are among its most celebrated artists. In some cases now, it is the Kuchipudi girl artists who dress up and act out the role of boys. The repertoire of Kuchipudi, like all major classical Indian dance forms, follows the three categories of performance in the ancient Hindu text ''Natya Shastra''. These are ''Nritta'', ''Nritya'' and ''Natya''. *The ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance. The viewer is presented with pure movement in Nritta, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (prakriti) of the audience. *The ''Nritya'' is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions. In a ''nritya'', the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through gestures and body motion set to musical notes. The Kuchipudi actor articulates a story (particularly of Krishna) or a spiritual message. This part of a repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer. *The ''Natyam'' is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A ''Natya'' incorporates the elements of a ''Nritya''. Kuchipudi, in its history relied on a team of dance-actors, while in modern times Kuchipudi productions include solo or duo performances.

Sequence

A complete Kuchipudi show sequence always consists of ''nritta'' and ''nritya'' in solo or group performance, but when the underlying text is a play, it may include a ''natya''. The nritta or pure abstract dance parts of Kuchipudi, states Reginald Massey, may include parts such as ''darus'', ''jatis'', ''jatiswarams'', ''tirmanas'' and ''tillanas''. The nritya or expressive performance in Kuchipudi includes ''padams'', ''varnams'', ''shabdams'' and ''shlokas''. A Kuchipudi performance traditionally is a night performance, when rural families return from their farms and are free of their daily work. It has been performed in or next to a Hindu temple, and the stage lit by the yellow lights of castor oil burning torches. The dance-drama begins with an invocation (''melavimpu'', ''puvaranga''). This may be an on stage prayer to

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

, the Hindu god of good beginnings, or may be an invocation expressing reverence to various Hindu gods, goddesses, earth, or one's

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

(teacher). The conductor of the performance enters and plants an "Indra's banner" staff, then introduces all the actors and the characters they play, who are revealed behind a curtain, and when each actor arrives, colored resin is thrown into the flame of one or more torches for dramatic color effects and audience's attention. Each actor performs a short dance called the ''Pravesa Daru'' accompanied by a short musical piece, as the vocalist describes his or her role. The conductor is typically present throughout the performance, on the stage, explains the play, talks and humors the audience. After the actors have been introduced, the ''nritta'' part of the Kuchipudi performance starts. The actors present a pure dance (jatis or jatiswarams), performed rhythmically to a musical

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...

, and these are called ''Sollakath'' or ''Patakshara''. A basic unit of dance in Kuchipudi is called a ''adugu'' (or ''adugulu''), and these correspond to the ''karana'' in Natya Shastra. Each basic unit combines hand and foot movement into a harmonious ''sthana'' (posture) and ''chari'' (gait), that visually appeals to the audience wherever he or may be sitting. Each dance unit, according to the ancient text, is best performed to certain recitation of mnemonic syllables and musical beat. A series of ''karana'' form a ''jati'', formalized originally as an

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and Culture, cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Traditio ...

through Sanskrit mnemonics, later written, and these form the foundation of what is performed in ''nritta'' sequence of Kuchipudi. Thereafter comes the ''nritya'', the expressive part called ''abhinaya'', and this is the heart of the play. The actor-dancer uses hand mudras and facial expressions inspired by the sign language in ancient Sanskrit texts, with an exacting footwork, to communicate the underlying story to the audience. A solo play or solo part of the performance is called a ''Shabdam'', and this may be set to a poem, a verse or a prose. A ''varnam'' combines dance with mime in order to draw out and express the ''rasa'' (emotional taste), and this can be solo or group. Parts set to poetry that are love lyrics or express deeper sentiments are called a ''padam'', and this part constitutes expressing the emotional, the allegorical and the spiritual aspects of the play. ''Kavutvams'' are a feature of the performance that is distinctive to Kuchipudi. These are performed either as nritta or nritya, to different ''talas'', wherein the dancer adds acrobatics to the complexity of presentation. For example, the dancer may perform the footwork, rhythmically to music, while balancing a series of pots on his or her head, and then add burning

Diya (lamp) A diya, diyo, deya, deeya, dia, divaa, deepa, deepam, deep , deepak or saaki is an oil lamp made from clay or mud with a cotton wick dipped in Oil or ghee. These lamps are commonly used in the Indian subcontinent and they hold sacred promi ...

in both hands, as the show goes on. Some artists dip their foot on a wet ink pad, then dance rhythmically on a blank white piece of paper, thus painting it; alternatively, the troupe places coloured rice powder on floor and on top the white piece of paper, then dances the musical composition on it, their weight and steps causing the pigment to stick. At the end of the performance, the artist shows the audience the nature scenery or bird or flower or Ganesha or something that results. A ''Mayura Kavutvam'' dance produces a painting of a peacock, a ''Vinayaka Kavutvam'' of Ganesha, a ''Simhanandi Kavutvam'' yields the painting of a lion, each set to a certain classical composition and beat, for instance.

Costumes

The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in ''Angavastra'', also known as ''Bagalbandi'', wear a ''dhoti'' (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist). A dancer in a female role would wear a ''Sari'' with light makeup. Modern productions retain the male dress, but are more elaborate and Bharatanatyam-like for the female roles. Women artists wear a brilliantly colourful ''Sari'' (or a body fitting dress) with a pleated fan stitched in front to help highlight the exacting footwork. The end of the wrapped ''Sari'' is held fast under a light metallic (golden or brass) belt at waist. A Kuchipudi artist braids her hair somewhat differently than a Bharatanatyam artist, to reflect the regional traditions, yet wearing flowers are common. Both have symbolic elements embedded in their hair and face jewelry, such as the Vedic symbolisms for the sun and the moon, the soul and the nature, and she sometimes sets her hairdo in the ''tribhuvana'' style which represents the three worlds. Her jewelry may include hair jewelry, ear, nose, armlets, necklaces and often a leather anklet piece with little bells (''gajjelu'' or ''ghungroo''). The forehead has a round red bindi or a symmetric tillaka, while the eyes are typically ringed with black collyrium to ease the viewing of expressions by the audience. Some special Kuchipudi plays may include unusual costumes and theatrics, such as round bottom water pot balanced on the head, dancing with gymnastics or stilt athletics. Other plays may include wing props, a transparent head sheet, or peacock feathered crown to identify the actor playing Krishna.

Musical instruments

Musical instruments used in Kuchipudi are cymbals, mridangam, violin, thambura, flute. The Kuchipudi performance is led by a conductor (chief musician) called the ''Sutradhara'' or ''Nattuvanar'', who typically keeps the beat using cymbals and also recites the musical syllables; the conductor may also sing out the story or spiritual message being enacted, or this may be a role of a separate vocalist or occasionally the dancer-actors themselves. The Kuchipudi orchestra ensemble includes a drummer (''mridangam''), a clarinetist and a violinist. Depending on the legend being danced out, other musicians such as a flutist may be present.

Styles

Kuchipudi has several regional ''banis'' (styles), which developed because of the uniqueness and creativity of gurus (teachers). This openness and flexibility has been a historic tradition in Indian dance culture, and is traceable to early times in Kuchipudi as the ''Margi'' and ''Desi'' styles in the text ''Nrittaratnavali'' of Jaya Senapati. According to Senapati, the ''Desi'' styles referred to one that incorporated innovations to the conservative ''Margi'' styles. Senapati lists examples of each. For ''Margi'' styles, he describes Vedayata, Veddangam, Bommalata, Perani, Chindu, Bahurupam, Pagativeshalu and others; while for ''Desi'' styles, Senapati describes Rasaka, Charchari, Bhandika, Kollata and others. Some of these styles are discernible in Warangal sculptures of the 13th century. The dance styles are based on the standard treatises, Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeswara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types — the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana Mandapam. Natya Mala is of three kinds — ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place.

Major Kuchipudi dramas

The most popular dance-drama is ''Bhama Kalapam'' of Sidhyendra Yogi.

Narayana Teertha Sri Narayana Teertha (c. 1650 – 1745 CE) was a great saint, devotee of Lord Sri Krishna, the supreme lord, and sang many songs on him. Brief lifesketch Sri Narayana Teertha was born in South India in the region covered by the present-day Andhra ...

composed the ''Krishna Lila Tarangini'', a story of Krishna's life beginning from his birth to his marriage to

Rukmini Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an in ...

. Ramaiah Sastri, inspired by the ''Bhama Kalapam'', wrote the ''Golla Kalapam'', which portrays the theme of an ethical satirical conversation between a

Gopi Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the ...

and a Brahmin. Other commonly performed plays are the dance-songs (''kritis'') of

Thyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...

, and the 700 surviving ''padams'' out of 4500 composed by

Kshetrayya Kshetrayya ( Telugu:క్షేత్రయ్య) (–1680) was a prolific Telugu poet. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He composed a number of ''padams'' and ''keertanas'', the prevalent formats of his time. He is c ...

Movva Movva is the name of a well-known village in the Krishna district of the Indian state known as Andhra Pradesh. It is located in 'Movva mandal of Machilipatnam revenue division'. It is one of the villages in the mandal to be a part of Andhra Pra ...

. Traditional compositions that have been internationally performed by Kuchipudi artists, particularly among Telugu diaspora communities, include ''Srinivasa Kalyanam'', ''Rukmini Kalyanam'' (marriage of Krishna and Rukmini), ''Sakuntalam Bhamakalpam'', ''Hara Vilasam'', ''Prahlada Charitram'' (

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

festival-related story), ''Usha Parinayam'', ''Sasirekha Parinayam'', ''Rama Natakam'' (probably the oldest play), ''Mohini Rukmangada'', ''Chamundeswari Sabda'', ''Ardhanareeswaram Sabda'' and ''Perini Thandavam''.

Schools and training centers

Kuchipudi training, as with all major classical Indian arts, have traditionally begun at a young age. The training includes physical exercises, theory, demonstration lessons and a lot of practice. The physical exercises range from yoga to special exercises to develop a supple body and flexibility in leg muscles, lower body, core, arms, shoulders and neck. Some examples of special exercises, state Kothari and Pasricha, are ''Dandemu'', ''Chakradandemu'', ''Ekapada'', ''Gunjeelu'', ''Kailsamu'', ''Kappilu'' and ''Moggalu''. They are educated in Sanskrit and Telegu. They must also learn music, literature and become vocalists. Training has expanded from within traditional families to anyone across the world due to its popularization.

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

Narthaki {{Hindudharma Classical dance genres of India Culture of Andhra Pradesh