Kuchipudi Dance
Indian Classical Dance
About Author
My Pen Name is DreamPencil, one who loves music and Dance
Author’s Note
This little book is about Kuchipudi Indian classical dance. Its history, sample mudras, about the guru, parents and students
Dedicated To
Sarada Nori Akella
[Kuchipudi and carnatic music Guru]
Index
Table of Contents
About Kuchipudi ……………………………….. 4
Mudralu ………………………………..
Dances …………………………………
About a GURU in CT …………………………….
Thank you Note from students ………………….
About Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is one of the 9 major Indian classical dances.
Origin - Village named Kuchipudi in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh
It is a dance/drama performance with its roots in ancient hindu sanskrit text of Natya Shastra.
It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, Temples and spiritual beliefs like all major classical dance of India
Found in Copper inscriptions of 10th century and 15th century in texts such as Machupalli Kaifat
Siddendra Yogi founded and systematized modern version of Kuchipudi in 17th century.
Krishna oriented Vaishnavism tradition - Bhagavata Mela in Thanjavur.
Traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe
Male Role - Agnivastra-Bagalbandi
Female Role - Sari
Kuchipudi performance has following:
Invocation
Actors are introduced
Role stated
Short preliminary dance
Music Dharavu
Expression part Nrithya
Vocal and Instrumental
Carnatic Music
Musical Instruments
Mridangam
Cymbals
Veena
Flute
Tambura
Natya Shastra (500 BCE) consists of
6000 Versus into
36 chapters
Natalia Lidova
Describes theory of Tandava dance(Dance/Shiva)
Theory of
Rasa
Bhava
Expression
Gestures
Techniques
Basic Steps
Standing Postures
During first half of 20th century, below are key people who promoted the Kuchipudi
Vedantam Lakshminara Sastry
Vempati Venkatanarayana Sastri
Chinta Venkataramayya
All India Dance seminar, Organized by National Arts Organization, Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1958, thrust Kuchipudi to the National Stage.
During the 2nd half of 20th Century, Vempati Chinna Satyam, whose efforts to further codify the modern repertoire earned him multiple accolades including Padma Bhushan.
Mudralu
Below are sample Mudralu
DANCES
Ganesha Kuotham
Ramayana Shabdam
Bhama Kalapam
Sri Krishna Leelamurtham
Sri Lakshmi Ambe
Panchatantra Stories
Narthana Thillana
Padma Javali
Tharangam
Dance performed by Brahmana Melas(Shaivism)
Dance performed by Bhagavathulalu (Vaishnavism)
Gita Govinda
Tritha Narayanayari (Advaitham)
Yakshagana
And many many more
About a GURU in CT
Sarada Nori Akella
Sarada Nori, an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, is a disciple of Guru Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar and Guru Smt. Maddali Usha Gayathri. A postgraduate in Computer Science, Sarada decided to pursue her passion and obtained a Masters of Arts degree specializing in Kuchipudi from the University of Siliconandhra. In addition, she is an exponent of Carnatic classical music under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Sarada Subramanyam and Guru Sri Nethi Srirama Sarma. Recognized for her artistic prowess, Sarada is a graded artiste on Doordarshan (India’s national broadcaster). An able puppeteer with over two decades of experience, Sarada blends Kuchipudi with contemporary puppetry which she leverages in workshops and lecture demonstrations on social themes in her community outreach and artistic endeavors.
As the founder and artistic director of Layavinyasa, Sarada has been promoting the ancient dance form of Kuchipudi and Carnatic classical Music since 2010 in the New England region in the U.S. where she currently resides. She has performed at events in India, United states and Mauritius.
In 2017 Sarada and her ensemble were a part of the prestigious International Festival of Arts and Ideas at Newhaven where she premiered the production ‘Prakrthi’ which blended traditional Kuchipudi and contemporary puppetry to advocate environmental protection. She believes in making meaningful connections with her students through dance dramas from Panchatantra, Jataka tales and mythological stories that incorporate English narratives. She has been invited as a judge by UConn Sanskrithi (University of Connecticut). As an active member of the community, she engages in extensive community outreach by articulating these artforms at public libraries, educational institutions, corporate houses, non-profit organizations, religious institutions and organizations focused on Indian diaspora.
Sarada's work has been funded by New England Foundation for the Arts, Middletown Commission on Arts, Connecticut Historical Society and CT humanities. She has been featured in ‘Coming Home- A Harford Collage’ performed by Cuatro Puntos Ensemble in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Autorino Center for the Arts.
LAYAVINYASA
Layavinyasa founded in 2010 by Sarada Nori, an exponent of Kuchipudi dance and Carnatic music, is a woman-led organization that builds bridges between people of different cultures and forges new paradigms using Indian art forms.
Through the medium of dance and music, Layavinyasa collaborates with artistes of various genres to create a tapestry of productions that engage and educate audiences on diversity, inclusivity and other topics – all of which draw the community closer.
Layavinyasa is at the forefront of promoting and sustaining the traditional Indian art forms in the US by developing programs that support art education and integration at schools and colleges; conducting lecture demonstrations that exemplify contemporary expressivity; staging theater performances; as well as training and empowering the next generation of artistes to articulate these art forms to diverse audiences.
Student Notes
Adithi’s Note
Dance class has quickly become one of my favorite things. Kuchipudi is complex and diverse which is what makes it so great. It has helped me with creativity and visualization of certain aspects of classical dance as well. I couldn’t imagine having any teacher other than Sarada auntie. Her choreography and other pieces come together very well. All of these years have been amazing and I expect that the next will be just the same.
Ramani’s Note
Sarada auntie is a really good teacher and helped me become advanced in Kuchipudi dance and appreciate it as an art form as well
Sreshtha’s Note
Triguna’s Note
Sarada auntie has an amazing talent for teaching. I have come to learn a lot about dance through these few years. I enjoy dancing and it is one of my favorite things to do!
Bhuvana’s Note
Through the many years I have been doing dance, I have come to really like it. It's not too hard any more. Sarada auntie has helped me to this stage. I also learned a lot about Kuchipudi's history. I can't wait to learn more with Sarada auntie as my teacher.
Megha’s comments
Kuchipudi has become one of my favorite hobby. It is so unique and diverse. I love how it is a type of dance which you can perform in different ways. Sarada auntie is a great teacher. She challenges us with different choreography of hers. She is such an inspiration for me. All of these years have been so amazing.
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