KUCHIPUDI KALAA KENDRAM Team performing for the 4th International Kuchipudi dance Convention in Hyderabad

"Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendram" team, the disciples of Kalaratna Smt A.B. Bala Kondala Rao are performing on the inaugration day i.e., 26-12-2014 for the Silicon Andhra 4th International Kuchipudi Dance Convention at " GACHIBOWLI INDOOR STADIUM"  Hyderabad. Mr.  Anukula Aditya ( senior most disciple and son of Guru Smt Balakka) and his team of ten dancers will be performing two items to the delight of the audience.

The 4th International Kuchipudi Dance Convention is one of it's kind conducted every 2 years under the aegis of "Silicon Andhra" and Sri Anand Kuchibhotla, is a prestigious festival which draws huge number of Kuchipudi dancers all over the globe for it's 3 day event. The first two days would comprise performances and lecture demonstartions by well known dancers and established and legendary gurus. The final day would witness a Guinness World Record Performance by over 8000 artists at a time !!!

Lets Wish Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendram team "ALL THE BEST " !!! 

Saraswati Memorial Award to Bala Kondala Rao

The Visakha Music Academy honored noted Kuchipudi exponent and Guru "Kalaratna" Smt A. B. Bala Kondala Rao with the "Saraswathi Memorial Award " on the occassion of it's 45th Anniversary on 2nd December 2014 in Kalabharati Auditorium, Visakhapatnam. The Award was given in recognition of her services rendered to the art of Kuchipudi. On this occasion the disciples of Smt Bala performed a Kuchipudi Ballet "Sri Lalitha Bhandasura Charitam", to the delight of the audience. the week long celebrations saw many legends and artists perform on the City of Destiny as a part of this celebrations.

Sri Lalitha Bhandasura Chraitam in Vizag

The grand finale of the 7 day Music and Dance festival in Kalabharathi by the VMDA on 2^nd December 2014 saw the dance Ballet “Sri Lalita Bhandasura Charitam” performed by the students of Kuchipudi Kala Kendram, which was choreographed by  "Kalaratna" Smt. AB Bala Kondala Rao, left the audience asking for more. 

The Kuchipudi Maestro Smt. AB Bala Kondala Rao, fondly called as Bala Akka had brought down to earth, all the mythological characters like  Godess Lalita, Demon Bhandasura, including Manmada, Mohini, Indra, Lakshmi, Saraswati along with the Trimurti’s Bhrama, Vishnu and Shiva. Every posture,  movement and abhinaya  were done to perfection by the students under the able guidance of Bala Akka.

The ballet started with the episode where Goddess Parvathi (Uma) tries to appease Lord Shiva, while cupid Manmada disturbes him with his arrows of love. Angered by this act, Lord Shiva burns Mammada to ashes. Chitrakarma, one of the Lord’s Pramathaganas, creates a statue of a boy with the ashes of Manmada.  The gods give life to the boy and name him Bhanda. Lord Shiva blesses him with a life of 60,000 years and also gives a boon wherein half of his enemies strength would be his during any conflict. Soon Bhanda becomes head strong and starts harassing the people. The Gods create a Sri Chakra in the inter stellar space and perform  sacrifices  whose outcome is a powerful Goddess Sri Lalitambika. The ballet then goes on to explain how the goddess with the help of the Trimurthi’s  fights a war to kill the demon.

The music was enthralling and captivating. It was supported with an equally perfect vocal background. The ballet was performed by over 50 students aged between 8 to 50 years and was a duration of 2 hours. The VMDA honored Smt A. B. Bala Kondala Rao with the  “Saraswathi Memorial Award” and conferred the  title “ Vidushi” on her. Finally, the 7 days VMDA music and dance festival was given a bidding farewell with the astounding performance of the students of  “Kuchipudi Kala Kendram”.

Some of the press reviews of the programme in various papers:

Namaskaram,

This is Bala Kondala Rao, fondly called as Bala Akka in the Kuchipudi Community. Iam one of the senior most disciples of PadmaBhushan Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam of the Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai. Iam the Founder Director of "Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendram" based in Visakhapatnam. I am really excited and very happy to start my own blog on the name of Kuchipudi and would love to share my views on the arts in general and Kuchipudi in particular. Hope you would all like it and appreciate.

Happy to post my first blog !!! :)