MUSIC AND DANCES Famous Dances : Kuchipudi Dance, Peacock Dance, Lambadi Dance. Famous Classical Dance : Kuchipudi Dance. Famous Music : Carnatic Music. Great Performers : Shri Raja Radha Reddy, Shoba Natarajan.

Kuchipudi Dance

Festivals

Andhra Pradesh Cities

Dances of Andhra Pradesh

Every Indian state proudly flaunts its dances and Andhra Pradesh is no exception. Andhra Pradesh is home to many tribes with different cultures. And dances are the most visible depiction of their culture. For centuries, these dances have been a prevalent in Andhra Pradesh and they have been a source of entertainment. Andhra Pradesh is also the proud home to one of the eight classical dancs of India named Kuchipudi Dance. This unique art form attracts numerous dance lovers from around the world to watch a live performance and it also is highly sought by Indian as well as foreign students.

Kuchipudi Dance

Kuchipudi Dance is counted among the eight classical dances of India for its rich history and features. It is more of dance drama in which scenes from Mahabharata, Ramayana and other mythological stories are enacted. Kuchipudi Dance is a perfect amalgamation of Natya, Nritta, and Nritya. In earlier days, Kuchipudi was never a solo performances. And it was performed only by men. Even the female characters were portrayed by men and young boys. But today not only can it be performed solo, it is mainly taken up by women. Kuchipudi Dance is accompanied by Telugu, and sometimes, Sanskrit music and musical instruments like Mridangam, Madala and a pair of cymbals.

Peacock Dance

The Khonds tribe living in remote areas of Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam are the main exponents of Peacock Dance. This dance is mainly performed during weddings and in April month which is the festival month for Khonds. The performers of peacock dance wear a white dhoti and a turban that is made of grass. They also keep few peacock feathers at their waists which symbolizes a peacock tail . They also wear anklets as jewelery which also serve as a musical instrument. The Peacock dance is accompanied by only one other instrument called Pirodi, a kind of flute.

Lambadi Dance

Lambadi dance is one of most widely performed dances in Andhra Pradesh. Lambadis are a nomadic tribe that stay in many different parts of the state. They are also known by that name of 'Banjaras' or 'Sugalis'. Lambadi dance portrays the day to day activities of people of their tribes like harvesting, sowing and planting. The costumes that are worn by the dancers make the performance a lot more attractive and smart. The garments are embroidered with glass-beads and shining discs which go well with the huge amount of ornate jewelery worn by them. Dussehra, Deepavali and Holi are the festive occasions when the Banjaras go from house to house dancing and receiving alms.

Horse Dance

This dance has become famous all over India for its unique methods and eye catching costumes. In this dance, a horse like puppet which is made of cattle dung, hay and husk is used. It is colored is such a way that it looks a lot like a real horse. It is hollow in the middle where the dancers stand. Looking from a distance it seems as if the performer is astride the horse and the horse is dancing to the tunes. This dance is seen mainly in Guntur district and is a major event during fairs and marriages.

Music of Andhra Pradesh

It is undeniable that the heritage of Music in Andhra Pradesh is seldom matched by other states. Birthplace of genius musicians like Thyagaraja, Shyama Shastri and Muthuswami Dixitar, Andhra Pradesh is one of the biggest contributor to Carnatic Music. All the above personalities were exceptional exponents of Carnatic Music. One can see the effects of Carnatic music on the folk music of Andhra Pradesh.