Kuchipudi:

A well-known tradition of South  Indian classical dance drama is represented by Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh. The term Kuchipudi originated from the village of the same name in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh.  A very interesting anecdote relates how this dance drama, based on the fundamental principles and techniques of the classical dance as enunciated in Bharata's Natya Shastra came to be known by this nomenclature. In 1678, the Nawab of Golkunda, Abul Hasan visited Andhra Pradesh and immensely enjoyed the Kuchipudi performance. He was so delighted by the excellent presentation of the dance drama that he at once presented the village to the performing troupe. Since then it came to be known by this name, Kuchipudi.

Generated by bhakti (devotion) cult, Kuchipudi has imbibed elements both from Bharatanatyam and the folk forms such as Yakshaganam. Initially, it was nourished and nurtured in the temple sunder royal patronage. Kuchipudi, a representation of fine combination of Natya, Nritta and Nritya, was never a solo affair and required a number of actors.

The renaissance and revival of Kuchipudi saw the transgression from its traditional geographical limits and bounds of Andhra Pradesh to a wide national popularity. Today Kuchipudi is considerably a different style of dance form than it originally used to be. In most of the cases it is now a solo performance done by female dancers. Element, such as sculpturesque stances and freezes based on perfect iconographic forms, motifs and shapes have also been incorporated into Kuchipudi dance recitals. The main expressional numbers are the Ramayana, the Puranas, Narayana Teertha's Krishna Leela Tarangini, Bhama Kalapam and so forth.