Kuchipudi

The name is originated from the Andra Pradesh state, where the village name is Kuchipudi. It is a religious art of traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs. Kuchipudi was found in the 10th century. The beginning of this dance is with an invocation where each costumed actor is introduced, the role they are going to play and then they play a short dance set to the music. Then, the pure dance (nritta) is presented followed by the expressive performance (nritya) with the help of hand gestures and the facial expressions to convey the story. This dance is performed in the Telugu language with the combination of vocal and instrumental music. The typical instrumental musical form in Kuchipudi are mridangam, cymbals, Veena, flute, and tambura. This dance form includes expressions, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing position, spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures. The costume is a combination of the blouse with saree which could be anything from Kanchipuram silk to Dharamavaram silk or semi-silk. Its makeup includes Altha, sindur, kumkum, bindi, black eyeliner, kajal, facial powder with well-supplemented exotic jewellery.