Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi derives its name from the village of Kuchelapuram in Andhra Pradesh, India. As a classical form of dance, drama, and music, Kuchipudi holds a unique place among the Indian classical idioms. Kuchipudi grew largely as a product of the Bhakti movement beginning in the seventh century. However, it was in the fourteenth century that the ascetic Siddhendra Yogi appeared on the scene and gave Kuchipudi new definition and direction.

Kuchipudi was originally a male dance tradition. Groups of men travelled from village to village, enacting stories from Hindu mythology. As in Elizabethan theatre, men portrayed both male and female roles. It was only in the last nine or ten decades that women were introduced to this art form. Kuchipudi in its present form is the result of the vision of stalwarts such as Vempati Chinna Satyam and Vedantam Laxminarayana Shastry.

Kuchipudi is characterised by fast rhythms and fluid movements, creating a unique blend of control and abandon, strength and delicacy.