For the last three years, Kuchipudi exponent and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Dr G. Padmaja Reddy, has spent most of her time at the Ramappa Temple, the Warangal Fort and the libraries nearby, for her research on the dance forms from the Kakatiya Era, mentioned in the book Nritta Ratnavali. Padmaja envisages reconstructing the centuries-old dance concepts detailed in the book, with episodes from history. She says, “Kakatiyamu is formed when all the dance forms in the book are combined together. I want to ensure that it is made Telangana State’s official dance form.”
Talking about her inspiration, she says, “I was intrigued by the book Nritta Ratnavali, with its minute details of the dance forms and mudras along with the mention of costumes and jewellery. The original script was written 1,400 years ago by Jayasenapati who was inspired by the Ramappa Temple. The manuscript is a great contribution to the field of dance and also caters to those who wish to study dance, history, sociology and anthropology.”
Since it was not possible for her to revive all the dance forms in the book, she concentrated on just a few. The first is Perini, the most famous amongst the Kakatiya dance forms. Others include Bhramari, where the dancer needs to move in circular motions, Kandukanrutyam, Kolattam and Lasyangamu. The choreography took her more than a year and also involved a lot of money. The performance on Sunday would see Padmaja and her 150 students showcase four dance forms mentioned in the book.
