The Art
Sundari Dance Theater was born from a love of Kuchipudi storytelling. It is our aim to explore beloved classics of the tradition as well as to create original theatrical productions rooted in the tradition's signature style, and to present both in performance for our audiences to enjoy!
Allow me. I love a good jathi like the one below!
Shall I show them?
Why Kuchipudi?
With a history that is centuries old, Kuchipudi storytelling is the product of a rich heritage descended from dance and theater forms native to the Southern part of India, primarily Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. As storytellers, Kuchipudi artists made use of poetry, theatricality, musicality, and rhythm to tell playful but evocative tales that were welcome in village squares and royal courts alike. As dancers, the artists developed a vibrant style known for its fast-paced agility, mixed with lilting musicality. Indeed, Kuchipudi is credited as one of the classical dance styles of India. In the 20th century, Kuchipudi enjoyed an immense rise in popularity thanks to a number of torchbearers of this legacy, but perhaps chief among them was Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. In many ways, it was with this legendary Guru, fondly known as "Master Garu," that Sundari's journey originated.
Sundari's founders, Srilekha Jayanthi and Chitra Kalyandurg, remember getting to see live performances of Master Garu's beloved dance ballets as children. The stories, and the wonderfully extravagant telling of those stories, remains etched in their memories.​ Chitra and Srilekha found the same magic in the dance hall of their own Guru, Smt. Anuradha Nehru, who studied Kuchipudi under Master Garu himself. Anuradha Auntie, as she is known among her many students, is known today as the visionary founder of Kalanidhi Dance, through which she has created a new era of large-scale, thoughtful group dance productions that have toured the world, and many of which Chitra and Srilekha were lucky to be part of.
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More than three decades after their dance journeys began, Chitra and Srilekha continue to be inspired by Kuchipudi's optimism, regaled by its humor, fascinated by its impossible moves, and mesmerized by its beauty. Sundari is their way of sharing, like their Gurus did before then, what Kuchipudi is all about!​​
What Will We Do With Kuchipudi?
Make shows!​ Inspired by Kuchipudi's history, heritage, and genre-defining tricks of storytelling, Sundari aims to follow in the tradition of its forebears and to present a new era of imaginative shows for today's world.
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And we have both done it before! Srilekha was formerly Artist-In-Residence at Kalanidhi Dance, and in that role, had the opportunity to curate a number of original company performances. But her proudest achievement was the creation of her very first theatrical production, Sundari Charitam. Sundari Charitam is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale in the style of Kuchipudi. Featuring an original script and score conceived by Srilekha and created in collaboration with artists based in Hyderabad, Sundari Charitam was Srilekha's first exploration into how literature, music, drama, and dance come together to bring a story to life in Kuchipudi color. The experience gave her a thirst for more!
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Chitra was a Founding member of the Kalanidhi Dance Company, and for years, was Assistant Choreographer at Kalanidhi Dance, in which role she worked together with our Guru, Smt. Anuradha Nehru, to create and choreograph original productions for the company. Chitra also created two original productions of her own. The first, the Nayika project, was a collaboration with hip hop artist Paige Hernandez. And the second, Leela: Play of the Divine, was conceived, choreographed, and presented by Chitra as a solo thematic presentation exploring themes around Krishna, one of our most beloved masters of drama.
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It is our belief that Kuchipudi's longevity comes from the strength of its power to tell captivating stories that are at once timeless, and also, timely. We hope to use this versatile language to create shows that are relevant and resonant today.
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Alright your turn, show us a little drama...
