Kuchipudi dancer balancing herself on the rim of a brass plate in Preston, UK. 04th Sep, 2021. The postponed Indian Festival of Mela finally takes places in the city centre. A colourful performace & celebration of Asian arts, culture, heritage music and contemporary dance in the Flag market central space watched by hundred of Prestonians.
Kuchipudi (/kuːtʃiˈpuːdi/) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances.[2] It originated in a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.[3] Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra.[4][5][6] It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India.[7] Evidence of Kuchipudi's existence in an older version are found in copper inscriptions of the 10th century, and by the 15th century in texts such as the Machupalli Kaifat.[8][9] Kuchipudi tradition holds that Tirtha Narayana Yati – a sanyassin of Advaita Vedanta persuasion,[10] and his disciple, an orphan named Siddhendra Yogi, founded and systematized the modern version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century.[11][12][13] Kuchipudi largely developed as a, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna-oriented Vaishnavism tradition,[14] and it is known by the name of Bhagavata Mela in Thanjavur.[8] The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in Agnivastra, also known as Bagalbandi, wear a dhoti (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist).[15][16] A dancer in a female role would wear a Sari with light makeup.[16] The Kuchipudi performance usually begins with an invocation. Then, each costumed actor is introduced, their role stated, and they then perform a short preliminary dance set to music (dharavu). Next, the performance presents pure dance (nritta).[17] This is followed with by the expressive part of the performance (nritya), where rhythmic hand gestures help convey the story.[17][18] Vocal and instrumental Carnatic music in the Telugu language accompanies the performance.[19] The typical musical instruments in Kuchipudi are mridangam, cymbals, veena, flute and the tambura.[20] The popularity of Kuchipudi has grown within India, and it is performed worldwide.
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Location: Preston, UK
Photo credit: © ZarkePix / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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