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Kuchipudi |
Kuchipudi, one of the art forms of the South had its origin in Andhra Pradesh. It presents scenes from Hindu Epics and mythological tales through dance-dramas combining m usic, dance and acting.
The tradition of Kuchipudi dance was passed down through generations of Brahmin families in Kuchipudi village and interacted with the temple dance traditions as well as the other drama traditions of South India. The tradition has remains so unbroken that even today in some of the coastal areas of Andhra, Kuchipudi is still performed by all-male troupes. However, in the past 30 years, the dance has undergone a revival as both a solo and dance drama tradition and is now performed on the modern stage around the world by both man and women.
There are many legends related to this dance form, which are somehow related to its growth. According to one of the legends related to this dance form, in the 13th century there was a young man named Siddhappa whose marriage was arranged to a beautiful girl. But the fate was not on his, while crossing the river to attend his wedding, his boat overturned and he was about to drown. At that very time, he prayed to God to save his life and pledged that he will dedicate his life to the service of God. His prayer was answered and he survived. Since then, he was called Siddhendra Yogi, a great Telugu poet of the 17th century who composed the dance-drama "Bhama Kalapam". His poems praised Lord Krishna on which dancers performed.
The Kuchipudi dance form is performed on the classical Carnatic music. The instruments used for Kuchipudi recital includes the Mridangam, Flute and Violin. The lyrics are sung by a vocalist and the organization of the music and recital of the rhythmic patterns are done by the "Nattuvanar".
Some of the exponents of this dance form are Guru V.C. Satyam, Satyanarayana Sarma, Swapnasundari, Mallika Sarabhai, V. Prahalada Sarma, M.V.N. Murthy, Raja Reddy, Radha Reddy, Jaya Ram Rao and Vanashree Rao.
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