The International Center for Kuchipudi Dance’s 3rd anniversary was celebrated on 26th November 2023, in Sunnyvale, California. The centre was founded by Bhavana Reddy, the younger daughter and disciple of Kuchipudi legends Padma Bhushan’s Raja Radha Reddy, and Kaushalya Reddy, who has adopted California as her home. ICKD is a one-of-a-kind novel institution that operates virtually, where disciples from across the world, including the UK, USA, Dubai, Singapore, and Europe, train from Bhavana Reddy online in regular live online classes.

Bhavana Reddy proudly presented her disciples from the USA and other places in an in-person concert in California. The concert took place with the support of the University of Silicon Andhra, the Bay Area Telugu Association, and Virijallu Radio. Chief guest Dr Srikar K Reddy, Consulate General of India to SF, and special guests Anand Kuchibhotla, Ramesh Konda, Vijaya Aasuri, Celine Schein Das, Santa Dasu Kondapalli, and Suresh Kondapalli were present, among others. Bhavana Reddy is the recipient of many awards, including the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in Kuchipudi Dance, which is awarded by Sangeet Natak Akdemi to an artist below the age of 40 and to the best dancer in her chosen genre. She is an acclaimed solo performer, frequently travelling all around the world in the service of dance. She is an ardent adherent of the Guru-shishya-parampara to pass on her learned knowledge to the next generation, of course, but not without extending its boundaries.

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Chief Guest Dr Srikar K. Reddy, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, inaugurated the function along with esteemed guests. He was high in praise of Bhavana Reddy and congratulated her for using technology to promote and propagate dance. Special guest Celine Schein Das, executive director of the Chitresh Das Institute in San Francisco, opined in her speech that her life has been enriched by the culture of India and expects that the lives of more and more people in the US will be enriched by Indian culture too.

The artistic director of ICKD, Bhavana Reddy, hoped the function would give the audience a state of bliss and plant the seeds of Indian culture globally.

Bhavana Reddy teaches students online and continues to work tirelessly to promote the enduring, ancient legacy of Kuchipudi dance. Under the tradition of Guru Shishya Parampara, she trains students to embrace the art form and nurture their talents. Since it began in 2020, the institution has grown from strength to strength, building upon the teachings of her parents and guru Padmabhushan, Drs. Raja Radha Reddy, and Kaushalya Reddy, and cementing the global presence of Kuchipudi. Bhavana Reddy’s teaching philosophies have brought into her fold a wide range of disciples, both experienced and beginners, who have travelled from their respective states in America to camp and celebrate the third year of their Kuchipudi dance training in Sunnyvale Community Theater, California, USA. The students of the institute gathered in person to honour India’s classical heritage and celebrate this momentous occasion.

As per custom, the evening’s programme commenced with “Sri Gowri nandana namaste”, the elephant-headed god, who was appeased with prayers to Lord Vignesha Ganesha to prevent all obstacles. Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeswara says that nartakas, or dancers, should offer prayers to Vignesha Ganesha before the commencement of their performance. The tradition is followed by all performing artists in India. After the devotionally rendered Ganesha Vandana to the dancing God by Dhriti Mudigonda of Illinois and Sowmiya Ramisetti from California, vocalised in Mohana Ragam and Adi talam, Pushpanjali, again a very traditional piece consisting of flower offerings, was danced by Bhavana’s disciples Roshni Velamuri, who came all the way from Oregon, and Manasa Budamagunta from California. The piece was an even combination of intricate jatis in Talam Adi and Ragam Arabhi, which were narrated, chanted, and sung beautifully.

Bhavana Reddy’s newest batch of talented students Ananya Garimela from California, Pooja Mamidi also from California, Anusha Padmini and Akhila Mungunda from Texas, Kranti Cherukuru and Rani Basava from Virginia, Ashwini Badgujar again from California, and Brahmini Sagili from Andhra Pradesh performed Slokamulu in Kuchipudi Sampradayam adavalu, which are the first and foremost steps in Kuchipudi dance. Their earnest expressions held promise. The piece was in Ragam Hamsadhwani and Talam Adi.

The next piece was Gajendra Moksham, in which Gajendra, the King Elephant, approached with his herd, looking for a Lotus blooming in the waterway. At that moment, a terrible thing happened. A mighty crocodile caught his leg, leaving Gajendra, the elephant, in great pain. He asked Vishnu to liberate him.

He appealed to Vishnu’s incarnation, “Kodanda-Rama”—as Rama is known in South India—to come to his aid. To warn the approach of the fierce crocodile, frogs near the waterway had given warning signals by croaking, which was beautifully captured in the choreography. The croaking of the frogs was exposed stylistically through music and dance. The meticulous nature of Bhavana’s teachings was seen in the Manduka Shabdam, which is a part of Gajendra Moksham and was choreographed by Dr Raja Reddy. The performers, Swecha Pitha and Aanya Lakkha from Texas, Shrika Talapragada from Philadelphia, Mahiti Kandakuri from Dubai, Akira Janu from Telangana in India, and Naina Singh from Luxembourg in Europe, were commendable. The piece Dasavataram in Ragam Mohana and the talam Misra Chapu were the concluding pieces of the festival of dance. It was rendered by Sowmya Ramisetti of California and Dhriti Mudigonda of Illinois. Dashavatar, or the ten incarnations of Vishnu, are collections of several mythological stories that speak about the preservation of life on earth. The Telugu version of the Dasavatar was written by Siddhabattula Rangadasu, a mediaeval Bhakti saint.

As the daughter of the number one Kuchipudi family, Raja Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, whose lives have been dedicated to the propagation and enrichment of the dance form, Bhavana Reddy’s choice of settlement in California has been particularly heartening. Kuchipudi dance, originating in Andhra and Telangana, has a global character.

The writer is a senior dance critic