Treasure the tradition

Gurnaaz Kaur

Every art form resonates differently with different people but the end result is the same—a sense of calm and want for more, whether you are among the artistes or the audience. Payal Ramchandani has been trained in Kuchipudi for 25 years but her want for knowing more, learning more has no end. That is because she says, “In dance, there is no such thing as you know everything. You are always a student. And, Kuchipudi, I feel, is like an ocean. What I have known in all these years of training is just a drop in the ocean.”

Payal is learning but she is also teaching, through workshops and a dance studio in the UK. In Chandigarh to perform for the Pracheen Kala Kendra, this classical dancer, who moved to the UK almost four years back, has seen a sea of change towards the popularity of Kuchipudi and other art forms. “People have become more receptive towards all forms of arts, including classical dances. There is a growing demand for shows and performances and the involvement of younger generation is a positive sign,” she says.

This Kuchipudi exponent has performed extensively in India and abroad at major national and international festivals. She is associated with SPIC-MACAY, ICCR and Doordarshan, and she propagates Kuchipudi through all these mediums. As she explains the history of Kuchipudi, her dialogue on the dance form reflects piety and reverence. 

“It hails from Andhra Pradesh and is named after a village there. In the initial days, it was done only by boys. They would go from village to village narrating regional, political, mythological stories through their performances. It evolved and women started participating in it. So, from male and group-oriented dance form, it  also became  woman-oriented and solo form,” she educates. 

Payal’s training under Gurus Raja and Radha Reddy, Gurus Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao and currently under Guru Jaikishore and Padmavani Mosalikanti has provided for a strong foundation that has helped her evolve as a dancer with her own unique vocabulary. 

She calls herself a purist and aims to retain the traditional identity of Kuchipudi. “These days there are performances that are contemporary, with socially relevant themes and people can easily relate to them. But I feel the originality, the traditional value of the dance form needs to be preserved.”

[email protected]