2016 May - Kuchipudi Dance Performance by Deepika Potarazu

Kuchipudi dance performance by Deepika Potarazu

Vocal and Nattuvangam – DSV Sastri

Vocal – Lakshmi Narasimha

Violin – Melakkaveri K Thyagarajan

Mridangal – Guru Bharadwaj

Let me introduce two young writers Anika Krishnan and Aditi Krishnan who are in sixth grade and eighth grade respectively.  I was captivated by their deep understanding of the intricacies of the art form being dancers themselves.  I enjoyed their writing style and fearless expression of their opinions.  Kudos, Anika and Aditi!  Also, below is an introduction to Kuchipudi by their mother and dance teacher Shilpa Krishnan.

“The style that the dancer performed, Kuchipudi, is rather different from the style of dance I learn which is BharataNatyam. However, I did see a few things in common such as her posture, araimandi (half sitting), and abhinaya or expressions. What I especially liked about her performance was her exquisite abhinaya. These small and delicate gestures are very important. They convey the story that the composer is trying to communicate, and portray the emotions of the characters the dancer is imitating.

I thought Deepika’s costume and attire were very attractive and suited the performance really well. Also, many of her dances were on Krishna which allowed a lot of room for stories.

Overall I think that this program was a great success and gave me a chance to appreciate a different yet equally beautiful form of dance.”

By: Anika Krishnan 6^th Grade

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“I was really excited to watch a dance performance at the temple for the Spring season finally! I wish we had more dancers perform.  I loved that it was Kuchipudi since we typically see a lot more BharataNatyam programs.

I thought Deepika danced really well overall. I noticed immediately the similarities and differences in the dance styles. Kuchipudi has some unique movements and aspects of Nritta that were immediately obvious to me.  Some of the hand gestures she used are also components of BharataNatyam but not used as liberally as in Kuchipudi.  The footwork was also structured differently although the tala structure and sollu (rhythmic recitations) were the same.

I especially enjoyed the ashtapadi for a couple of reasons.  I liked the playful abhinaya she exposed in the item and also the ragamalika aspect of the song.”

By: Aditi Krishnan 8^th Grader

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About Kuchipudi:

Kuchipudi is the classical dance form from the South-East Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.  It derives its name from the village of Kuchelapuram, a small village about 65 kms from Vijaywada.  It is known for its graceful movements and its strong narrative/dramatic character.  Kuchipudi as we know it today acquired its present form in the 20th century.  A number of people were responsible for moving it from the villages to the performance stage.  One of the most notable was Guru Lakshminarayan Shastry.  After him, a number of other luminaries would mould it into its present shape.  Some notable names are Vempati Chinna Satyam, C.R. Acharyalu, and Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna. –

By: Mrs. Shilpa Krishnan – dance teacher from South Florida

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Let me start with the orchestra first.  Right from the invocation song mridangam captivated the audience.  The sound filled the auditorium and was apt for a dance performance.  The voice of Sri DSV Sasthri was deep and confident.  The other vocalist Lakshmi and violinist were subdued but very effective throughout the concert.  It was an effortless performance by the entire team through and through.

Sri Ganapathim in Sourashtram - good start to the program

Sanchara Adhara in Ragamalika – Performance picked up momentum in this song and the dancer never looked back.  Here the dancer, Deepika, had a lot of scope for abhinaya and bhava.  The dancer was completely immersed into the song, switching the show emotions from minute to minute.  Beautifully done.

Varnam – Omkara in Shanmugapriya – violin alapana to begin with was classy.  The song depicted how everything emanated from Omkara including shruthi, layam and ganam.  The song was composed by Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri M. Balamuralikrishna.  Again, beautifully delivered.

Etuvanti Vade Vadu in Kalyani and Mishra Chapu – another dance on Krishna’s childhood episodes.  The mischief of Krishna was acted out beautifully. 

Finally the Thillana in Hamsanandi – lots of energy and great footwork.  Deepika kept the audience in rapt attention through the entire concert.

Thanks to the Potarazu family who used to live in South Florida several years ago for coming back to give this wonderful performance.