Kuchipudi : Struggle
Kuchipudi artists are struggling for survival and going through a tough phase due to lack of patronage.
- Kuchipudi is one of the Indian Classical dance belongs to the Andhra Pradesh.
- It was originally performed by a group of itinerant actors known as Bhagavathalu, who would travel from village to village, performing plays and dances based on Hindu mythology.
- In the 15th century, the great poet and musician, Siddhendra Yogi, played a major role in the development of Kuchipudi. He is credited with transforming the dance form from a simple folk art to a sophisticated and refined classical dance form.
- It is characterized by its intricate footwork, graceful movements and subtle facial expressions. It incorporates both pure dance (Nritta) and expressive dance (Nritya) elements, as well as storytelling through dance (Natya).
- It is also performed on the edge of a brass plate (known as Tarangam) on the beats of Carnatic music.
- It is largely developed as a Hindu god Krishna-oriented Vaishnavism tradition, and it is most closely related to Bhagavata Mela.
- The Kuchipudi performer apart from being a dancer and actor has to be skilled in Sanskrit and Telugu languages, music and manuscripts of the performance.
