Bhavana Reddy | |
|---|---|
 Reddy performing Kuchipudi | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Indian classical dance |
| Occupations | Kuchipudi Indian classical dancer, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Website | https://www.bhavanareddy.com/ |
Bhavana Reddy is an Indian classical Kuchipudi dancer, singer, songwriter, and guru/teacher. She is the younger daughter and disciple of renowned dancing couple Raja Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy. [1]
Bhavana Reddy was born and raised in New Delhi, India. [1] Her family is in the Limca Book of Records for being the world's first and only family dedicated to Kuchipudi. [2] Bhavana is the younger daughter of Padmabhushans Drs. Raja Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, and the younger sister of Yamini Reddy. [3]
As a young girl in New Delhi, Bhavana attended junior school at Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School, and then went on to study at Modern School, Barakhamba. She graduated with a B Com Honors Degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. [4] Bhavana's formal training in Kuchipudi dance began at age four under the guidance of her parents. [3]
Bhavana has spent over two decades devoted to Kuchipudi learning both dance and theory. [5] She began performing with her family on global tours at the tender age of five. [5] The first record of a major performance by Bhavana was at the ICCR Auditorium, Azad Bhawan New Delhi for which she was also recognized as a rising star in HT city newspaper. Other records show her as the youngest performer in the history of the Bhaskar Rao Sangeet Sammelan, Chandigarh where at age seven she shared the stage with her parents and as a solo performer in their family productions. [6]
Bhavana took lead roles in productions since she was a young child. [7] When she was age six she played Krishna (executing Makhan Chori, Kalinga Nartana solo, Cheer Haran and Raas Leela) in productions like Krishna Leela Tarangini. [7] At age seven, Bhavana played Prahlada in Prahlada Charitram. [7] In 2016, Bhavana played the role of Shandilya in Bhagvadajjukyam. [8] In 2011, Bhavana played the lead role of Satyabhama in Bhamakalapam, an iconic and traditional Kuchipudi piece. [8] Bhavana has several other solo performances to her credit as well as productions conducted with the Reddy family. [9]
Professionally, Bhavana toured Europe, USA, Canada, South East Asia, Middle East and India - several times before she turned 16, including performing for dignitaries and performing at several prestigious venues around the world. [10] She received a certificate in Natya Sastra Karana studies under Guru Padma Subrahmanyam. [11]
Bhavana founded the international branch of the Natya Tarangini Kuchipudi Dance Institute in April 2020. The school celebrated its first anniversary 16 April 2021. Additionally, as Director of the Delhi branch of Natya Tarangini, she is actively involved with organizing events and teaching. [12] She is the principal soloist and the assistant choreographer to Dr. Raja Radha Reddy [13] and also stars in and runs her own solo dance company.
Bhavana graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California with an Associate of Arts Degree in Vocal Performance. [14] She was the recipient of the Outstanding Artist Award in the program of Independent Artistry. [14]
She began learning South Indian Classical Carnatic vocals at four years old from Guru Kannakumar, and subsequently Durga Prasad from whom she also learned Carnatic violin until her late teens. [15] During college, Bhavana learnt from All India Radio Director Shri K. Vageesh under whom she still learns vocals.[ citation needed ]
As an international artist, [16] she released a solo EP Tangled in Emotions [17] and has sung the title track ("The End") on Hollywood production, Joy Ride 3: Roadkill. [18] Bhavana has performed at the Grammy Awards After Party. [19]
Some of her awards include:
Some of her notable works include:
Kuchipudi is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra. It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India.
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term for different regionally-specific Indian classical dance traditions, rooted in predominantly Hindu musical theatre performance, the theory and practice of which can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra. The number of Indian classical dance styles ranges from eight to twelve, or more, depending on the source and scholar; the main organisation for Indian arts preservation, the Sangeet Natak Academy, recognizes eight – Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam. Additionally, the Indian Ministry of Culture includes Chhau in its list, recognising nine total styles. Scholars such as Drid Williams add Chhau, Yakshagana and Bhagavata Mela to the list. Each dance tradition originates and comes from a different state and/or region of India; for example, Bharatanatyam is from Tamil Nadu in the south of India, Odissi is from the east coast state of Odisha, and Manipuri is from the northeastern state of Manipur. The music associated with these different dance performances consists many compositions in Hindi, Malayalam, Meitei (Manipuri), Sanskrit, Tamil, Odia, Telugu, and many other Indian-Subcontinent languages; they represent a unity of core ideas, and a diversity of styles, costumes and expression.
Dance in India comprises numerous styles of dances, generally classified as classical or folk. As with other aspects of Indian culture, different forms of dances originated in different parts of India, developed according to the local traditions and also imbibed elements from other parts of the country.
Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy is an Indian dancer of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles of dancing.
Vempati Chinna Satyam was an Indian dancer and a guru of the Kuchipudi dance form.
Yamini Reddy is a Kuchipudi dancer, teacher, choreographer, and the Director of Natya Tarangini, a school dedicated to the teaching of Kuchipudi. She has performed widely in India and abroad.
Parampara Series – Andhri or Andhri is a national festival of music and dance held in Hyderabad, India. It is organised by renowned Kuchipudi dancers Raja Reddy and Radha Reddy. It is a 3-day, annual event is held at Ravindra Bharathi auditorium. There is another Parampara festival held in New Delhi which started in 1976.
Arunima Kumar, Sangeet Natak Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardee for the year of 2008 for Kuchipudi. As a young girl of 9, Arunima acted in the ballet Amrapali. The Kuchipudi Dance Academy formally launched her in 1995 where she performed her Arangetram at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
Dr Nirmala Visweswara Rao is a classical dancer in kuchipudi and Bharathanatyam
K. Uma Rama Rao was an Indian Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, research scholar, author and dance teacher. She was also the Founder & Director of Lasya Priya Dance Academy, established in 1985 in Hyderabad, India.
Raja and Radha Reddy are an Indian Kuchipudi dancing couple, gurus and choreographers. They are renowned as exponents of the South Indian dance form of Kuchipudi. They founded and run the Natya Tarangini Institute of Kuchipudi Dance in New Delhi. The duo are credited with having given Kuchipudi a new dimension without compromising on its traditional virtues. For their services to the field of arts, the Government of India has conferred on them the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.
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Vyjayanthi Kashi is an Indian classical dancer, a kuchipudi exponent. She is from the family of Dr Gubbi Veeranna who was an Indian theatre director, one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. Vyjayanthi Kashi is a reputed kuchipudi dancer,a celebrated performer and choreographer and artistic director of a dance school Shambhavi School of Dance where they teaches this traditional dance form kuchipudi. She was also the chairperson of Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy.
Achuta Manasa is an Indian Kuchipudi dancer.
Shambhavi School of Dance was established in 1993 in Kengeri, Bangalore, Karnataka, India as a Gurukul for the study and practice of Indian classical dance and music. The Artistic Director of this school is Smt.Vyjayanthi Kashi who is an exponent in Kuchipudi dance form.
Madras Kadiravelu Saroja, is an Indian classical dancer, known for her expertise, as an exponent and as a teacher, in the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. The Government of India honored her, in 2011, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.
Deepa Sashindran is an Indian artist and a disciple of the Kuchipudi expert Smt. Manju Bhargavi. She is a performing artist, teacher of the Indian classical dance form Kuchipudi, choreographer, art curator, entrepreneur, and the founder of Kuchipudi Parampara Foundation Trust Bangalore.
Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, is a Kuchipudi artiste from India. She is the disciple of Guru Sri Pasumarthy Rattaiaha Sarma.
Ananda Shankar Jayant is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, scholar and bureaucrat, known for her proficiency in the classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She is the first woman officer in the Indian Railway Traffic Service on South Central Railway and her 2009 TED talk is ranked among the top twelve Incredible TED talks on cancer. She is a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalaimamani Award of the Government of Tamil Nadu and Kala Ratna Award of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to arts.