Andhra Natyam

Understand

Where Andhra Natyam comes from

Andhra Natyam is the classical dance-drama of the Andhra region — an ancient temple-tradition with archaeological evidence dating to the Satavahana and Ikshvaku periods (the Amaravati school of sculpture), and literary evidence from the Natya Shastra. The dance is referenced in the Pothana-Bhattucharyula commentary of the Andhra Mahabharatam and in the early Telugu sangam poetry. The form declined with the collapse of the regional kingdoms and the parallel rise of the Kuchipudi form. In the 20th century the form was revived as Andhra Natyam by the scholars Natya Shastra expert Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna and Padma Shri Sobha Naidu (the latter as the principal proponent of the modern Andhra Natyam). The Government of India recognises the revival as a regional classical dance tradition of Andhra Pradesh. Today Andhra Natyam is staged at temple and state cultural programmes.

How it's practiced

Andhra Natyam is performed by soloists or small groups with refined choreography drawing from both the classical Natya Shastra tradition and the regional Andhra temple vocabulary. The dance is characterised by the karana-lasanis (the dance units of the Natya Shastra) adapted to the specific rhythm and lyrical character of the Telugu tradition. Movements are graceful and statuesque, with emphasis on the lines of the lower body and the angles of the limbs in the manner of the ancient Andhra temple sculpture. Music is the mridangam and the percussion of the Telugu classical tradition, with lyrics in Telugu or Sanskrit drawn from the regional Bhakti literature. Costume is the regional temple dress — the stitched sari in white with the gold border and the regional jewellery of the Andhra brahmin tradition.