Dr.Nivedita Viswanathan
An eternal journey towards divinity!
The Artist
Kuchipudi, the Art Form
She has performed in many leading sabhas like Mylapore Fine Arts, Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha etc and under the banners like Kartik Fine Arts, Kapali Fine Arts to name a few. She has made several stage performances that include solo programs in sabhas, dance ballets, brahmotsavams (Tirupathi, Srivilliputhur etc), Dance Festivals (Amaravathi Guntur, Mamallapuram), temple
program (Kapaleeswarar temple of Mylapore, Tirumala Devasthanam etc) and host of institutional programs.
Kuchipudi and Dance Ballet are inseparable. Nivedita’s portrayal of the lead character ‘Ganga’ in the 2.30 hrs dance ballet ‘Gangavatharanam’ created and choreographed by her Guru speaks volumes about her understanding and presentation of such a powerful mythological character. She has performed this ballet across the country (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Vizag, Guntur, Nellore and Chennai) and the presentation has brought rich laurels to the Guru and the disciple. She has also effortlessly portrayed many mythological characters viz., Ganga, Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Vamana, Bhagiratha, Nandhi, Naradha and Shurpanaga to name a few, in many dance ballets.
Nivedita has been extensively covered in the press.
Kuchipudi- A Ballet Tradition
The dance form Kuchipudi was developed in the state of Andhra Pradesh located in South India. It derives its name from the village Kuchelapuram where it was nurtured by great scholars and artistes who built up the repertoire and refined the dance technique.
The technique of Kuchipudi makes use of fast rhythmic footwork and sculpturesque body, movements. Stylized mime using hand gestures and subtle facial expressions combined with realistic acting Occasionally with dialogues spoken by the dancers are the hallmark of this art form that has its roots in the dance drama format. The themes are mostly derived from the scriptures of mythology and the portrayal of certain characters is the central motif of this dance form. The unique feature is the Tharangam in which the performer dances on the edges of the brass plate executing complicated rhythmic patterns with dexterit
Kuchipudi is a perfect blend of nritha (pure dance), nrithya (dramatical dance) and natya (expressional form) and is known for its mellifluous music, classic literature and disciplined choreographic style. It is a harmonious combination of laya (rhythm), thandava (footsteps and rhythm) and abhinaya (facial expressions).
