Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form of Andhra Pradesh of India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district of Andhra. The resident Brahmins of the village Kuchipudi have been practicing this traditional dance form, from which it acquired its present name.
In Kuchipudi, the performance usually begins with some stage rites. After that, each of the character comes on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a small composition of both song and dance called daru. By this he/she introduces the identity, set the mood, and the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam, violin, flute and the tambura. Ornaments worn by the artists are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.
Style:- The movements in Kuchipudi dance are quicksilver and scintillating, rounded and fleet-footed. Performed to classical Carnatic music, it shares many common elements with Bharatanatyam. In its solo style Kuchipudi numbers include ‘Jatiswaram’ and ’Tillana’, whereas in nritya it has several lyrical compositions reflecting the desire of a devotee to merge with God.
Inspite of some Bharatanatyam steps, there are certain types of dances that are unique to Kuchipudi. Specifically there is the Tarangam of Kuchipudi which is unique in that the dancer must dance upon a brass plate, placing the feet upon the raised edges. The dancer moves the plate with much balance as the individual is traditionally dancing on the plate with two diyas (small oil-burning earthen lamps) in his or her hands while balancing a “kundi” (small vessel) containing water on their head. At the end of the dance, typically, the dancer extinguishes the diyas and washes his or her hands with the water from the vessel.
In Kuchipudi there is typically only one fan that forms the illusion of the spreading pleats of a sari. It tends to be longer than the longest of the three fans present on Bharatanatyam dresses. Apart from six padabhedas, Kuchipudi dancers also use some adugulu or adavus traditional to this school: Chaukam, Katteranatu, Kuppi Adugu, Ontaduvu, Jaraduvu and Pakkanatu.
The well known people in this tradition are Dr. Uma Rama Rao, Dr. Korada Narasimha Rao, Pasumarthi Venu Gopala Krishna Sarma, Sobha Naidu, Dr. Yashoda Thakore, Yamini Reddy, Mallika Ramprasad, Guru Bharani Shankar, Indira Sreeram Dixith etc.
Kuchipudi now is not limited to India alone. There are now a number of popular Kuchipudi teachers, choreo- graphers and dancers in North America and Australia.