Vempati Chinna Satyam
Raja & Radha Reddy
The
art form takes its name from the village
of its birth, in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi was the
result of the Bhakti Movement in the 6th Century, in South India. In the
17th Century, Siddendra Yogi, the progenitor of the form, presented a
dance-drama with boys from the village of Kuchipudi. Consciously they
raised the form above the reach of the Devadasis. The boys were committed
to an annual presentation of the form and they passed on the techniques to
the next generation. So a tradition and a form were born.
The
performer has to express through dance and gestic language, speech and
song. The Kuchipudi artiste, apart from being a dancer and an actor has to
have a high proficiency - in the Sanskrit and Telugu languages, music and
the texts of performance.
Kuchipudi plays are performed in the open air on improvised stages at night. The sutradhar, or master of ceremonies plays an integral role introducing characters, providing humour and tying together the show. The fast paced nature of the form has made it a popular dramatic form.
It is better known as a solo form today but the wheel has come full circle with group work, with experimental choreography much in demand.