Kuchipudi Dance By Dr. Raja & Radha Reddy: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR KUCHIPUDI DANCE BY DR....

The 2-day Taramati Cultural Festival on 12th & 13th December at the Taramati Baradari, will feature a Kuchipudi dance recital by Dr. Raja, Radha Reddy and group on the 1st day, and a hillarious Hindi comedy play, Biwi-O-Biwi on the second day.

Today, on the inaugural day, the Kuchipudi dance duo of Raja & Radha Reddy, along with Raja's second wife, Kaushalya Reddy, and his daughters Yamini and Bhavana Reddy, will perform a Kuchipudi dance recital.

Raja and Radha Reddy are disciples of Guru Vedantam Prahlada Sarma. They were trained at Sri Siddhendra Kalakshetram in Kuchipudi village, and at Kalakshetram, Eluru. Radha Reddy learnt Odissi from Mayadhar Raut, and Raja Reddy learnt Kathak at the Music College, Hyderabad.

Raja Reddy hails from an agricultural background, and a childhood fascination for dance had him leave his small village in Andhra Pradesh to learn dance. It was dance that brought his child bride, Radha, to him, despite initial parental opposition. And it was dance that united him with Kaushalya, the younger sister of Radha, and his second wife.

Through their togetherness and perfect unison, Raja and Radha Reddy portray the masculine vigor and lyrical charm of the classical pairs of Hindu mythology - including Shiva-Parvati, Rama-Sita and Krishna-Radha - thus identifying themselves with the twin concept of Purusha and Prakriti, the male-female principle in Indian philosophy.

The Reddys have taken the Kuchipudi dance style to various corners of the globe. The most memorable performance was at New Orleans, in front of the then President of the United States of America, Gerald Ford. There they performed on board a barge floating down the mighty river Mississipi.

Another moment they remember most vividly was their performance in Cuba, which President Fidel Castro attended in person to video record their dance. They also had the honor of being invited as the 1st Indian dancers to participate in the International Dance festival of Avignon in France and Salzburg in Austria.

Raja and Radha Reddy are proud recipients of many national and international awards and titles for their contribution to the field of Kuchipudi, and were also the 1st couple to receive the Padmasri and Padmabhushan awards individually and together.

Entry is free. Please contact the APTDC Ltd at 2329-8456/57, 2345-3036/0165 for further details.