Chilakamari Rama

Chilakamari Rama

Acharya Chilakamari Rama, was a famous Kuchipudi choreographer and a scholar who founded the Nataraja Natya Samiti troupe and wrote Understanding Kuchipudi.

Acharya Chilakamari Rama was a Kuchipudidancer and choreographer, as well as a scholar. Chilakamari, a famous personality, was born in a traditional family of Gurus and temple dancers in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. Chilakamari Rama was trained under the legendary Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri. He innovated a unique technique of designing a form while dancing on flour spread on the ground, which he traced to classical Prenkhani Nrityam or Swing Dance.

Career of Chilakamari Rama
Chilakamari Rama founded the Nataraja Natya Samiti troupe in Eluru and served as principal of Kalakshetram, Eluru. After joining the Darpana Academy in 1951, he popularised Kuchipudi in the state of Gujarat. His research into temple dances and revivals of dance-drama received recognition and admiration from all over. Chilakamari Rama choreographed Simhanandini, Ganesha Kavutvam or Eulogy to Ganesha; and Mahalakshmi Vaibhavam or In Praise of Mahalakshmi; and added several new numbers to the repertoire, such as Mayura Kavutvam or Eulogy to the Peacock; Ardhanarisvara, Parvati tandava or Parvati's Tandava Dance; and Mandodari Sabdan or Mandodari's Rhythmic Measure.

Besides books in Telugu, Chilakamari Rama's English publication, Understanding Kuchipudi, of 1992, is noteworthy.

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