Date:23/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/23/stories/2008092358040200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Weekend seminar on Kuchipudi

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: A two-day national level seminar on Kuchipudi, the traditional dance of Andhra Pradesh, will be held in the city this weekend.

The seminar will trace the evolution of the dance form through the 20th century, when it broke the traditional boundaries of drama to include solo dance performances, said Sailaja, founder principal of Saila Sudha, an academy that teaches Bharathnatyam and Kuchipudi.

Traditionally the art form was male-dominated. Artistes such as Vedantam, Vempatti and Lakshminarayana Sastri set a trend by introducing women, she said.

“Now it is more a female-dominated solo event. The audience response is good, but it needs to be educated on the nuances of the style,” Ms. Sailaja added. Mohiniattam, Bharatnatyam and Odissi artistes will also participate in the event to be held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. “We are inviting the top-rated performers, including some Padma awardees.

Artistes Sonal Mansingh (Odissi), Hemavathi of Kalamandalam (Mohiniattam) and Nandini Ramani (Bharatnatyam) will demonstrate their art forms,” she added.