Dilip Kondiparti Jyothi Chintalapudi Chairman Convener Vamsi Krishna Prakhya Chief Editor Editorial Board Mohammed Iqbal Gaggutur M J Thatipamala Sunila Pavuluri Rao Tallapragada Cover Design: Venkat Makina Design Coordination : Phani Madhav Kasturi 1 Narrative Writers of Biographic Articles of Artistes Vamsikrishna Prakhya Anand Bandi Aparaajitha Mrutyumjayudu Thatipamula Vani Gundlapalli Rao Tallapragada Archish Prakhya America Kuchipudi Dance Convention 2017 Executive Committees Fund raising Registration Rama Kakulavarapu Ratnamala Vanka Ravindra Kuchibhotla Prabha Malempati Rambabu Manchikanti Sneha Vedula Jayamala Thatipamula Logistics & Decorations Vani Gundlapalli Sai Kandula Sidhdhartha Nookala Hospitality Ravi Chivukula Santhi Kuchibhotla Yogendra Srungaram Sheela Sarva Kishore Gandham Manasa Addepalli Souvenir Vamsi Nadella Vamsikrishna Prakhya Mrutyujayudu Thatipaamula 2 Iqbal Gaggutur Anil Annam Heartfully Speaking A daring heart’s dream conceived when wide awake can change lives for good. In the sixteen years of Siliconandhra’s expedition, plethora of such dreams opened new vistas. Converging many of these wonderful dreams has resulted in a path well laid out to achieve sky-high goals for all Siliconandhra family. For Siliconandhra, goals are always with a purpose of making a better world. To realize excellence, and stretch our capabilities, new goals are often set and reset and pursued with more vigor. Such rigorous pursuit resulted in many tangible as well as intangible victories. Our victories brought us more laurels with responsibilities. It is with that sense of responsibility, we take up projects such as “Jayaho Kuchipudi”. The efforts being taken up are at multiple planes: social, cultural and economical etc. In all these efforts the support provided by the community is incredibly commendable. With the assurance of this tremendous support, we have been working on building bridges between hearts from far off lands. It is with the intention of fostering camaraderie and building better community of Kuchipudi artistes, Siliconandhra is convening the like minds from far off places of North America. To nurture Kuchipudi dance in North America to towering heights beyond imaginations of today we need four pillars. First, the contributions of gurus who are vehemently permeating the art is very important. Secondly, learning by students with equal passion as that of gurus is undisputed requirement. Thirdly, supporting parents to keep the torch of culture aflame till eternity is significant. Finally, encouraging community to provide symbiosis among the first three pillars is essential. With the America Kuchipudi Dance Convention, Siliconandhra is aiming at providing the high pedestal for all essential constituents to be together to make the dreams of generations of Kuchipudi artists realized and taken to next level. I congratulate everyone for participating and being involved in conducting this convention with ever cheerful visage and contagious enthusiasm. Looking forward to great achievements in store for us. Anand Kuchibhotla 3 Pondering Thoughts At the outset of the first ever Kuchipudi Dance Convention being held here in the United States of America (India's culturally rich and equally diverse twin country), it gives me great pleasure to see the coming together of artists across the states. The Silicon Andhra University campus is brimming with activity. Rehearsals, meetings, the arrival of artists far and wide, decorators, caterers, sounds of the dancing feet and the silence of pondering thoughts. From having taken a leap across the seas toward a cloud of nothing, Kuchipudi dance has mightily stretched itself in several directions across the United States. Half a century after, we find ourselves looking back at the progress in pure delight. 'Look back to learn and look forward to succeed'. With glowing torch in hand and a motto in mind, together let's envision an even glorious future of sorts. Under the banner of America Kuchipudi Dance Convention, together let's dream: - To create a national platform for the coming generation of budding aspiring artists to collectively gather and delve into the depth of the art form, to bring out newer directions without forgetting the old. - Of appreciating and honoring pioneering students and their gurus, with high level awards both from the government of India and the USA. - To nurture legendary gurus from this land of hopes and dreams. - To see one or many such prodigies wear the anklet of determination? - To fulfill many such hopes and dreams. As the saying goes it takes a village to raise a kid! This two day festival of Kuchipudi Dance has been possible only with the wonderful hard working team of passionate gurus, scholars, artists, volunteers and their families who worked timelessly and tirelessly. Tomorrow you will witness the coming together of a magical, mesmerizing, vibrant, educative and entertaining shows. While the first international convention was conducted in California in 2008, America Kuchipudi Dance Convention had at one time been a distant vision. With unparalleled Vision and inspiration from Anand Kuchibhotla garu (founder/CEO OF SA) and relentless work of our Silicon Andhra volunteers, Today it is a close reality. 'Jayaho Kuchipudi'. Jyothi Kuchipudi Chintalapudi 4 Making of Gurus Silicon Andhra, a universal family, has been striving for the past one and half decade to perpetuate Indian Language, culture, and tradition. With great passion and purpose, Silicon Andhra took many initiatives. We strongly believe that it is our responsibility to pass on the legacy of our rich Indian art forms, culture, and tradition to the next generation. In this journey, Silicon Andhra took unprecedented and bold initiatives as part of its mission. One such effort is making of gurus from the next generation by bringing perpetuity and awareness about the richness of the Kuchipudi dance form by initiating sustainable and tangible educational awareness programs with the Kuchipudi dance form as the main focus. We are proud to say that our initiatives have a direct impact on the significant increase in the number Kuchipudi dance teachers and students. To mention a few, organized multiple International Kuchipudi Conventions with up to 7000 gurus and dancers from across the world. SiliconAndhra founded first of its kind a higher education institution, the University of Silicon Andhra in Milpitas, California offering Masters, Diploma and certificate programs for Kuchipudi Dance form along with other art forms from India. The University of Silicon Andhra offers a unique program, “Sampada”- “Silicon Andhra Music Performing Arts Academy” in affiliation with Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University to provide proper academic credits through proper American accreditation channel. SiliconAndhra took a gigantic project of adopting Kuchipudi village to preserve the legacy of Kuchipudi dance's birth place where Saint Sri Siddhendra Yogi, one who gave structure and shape to this great dance form. We are proud to mention that we made remarkable changes in the lives of the Kuchipudi village residents and also to the traditional guru families who are still living in the village. Initiated construction and fulfillment of a 200-bed multi-specialty hospital “Sanjeevani” which serves to provide advanced medical treatments to the population from close to 50 villages. I welcome and thank all the gurus who are performing, participating and also encouraged their disciples to attend this valuable gathering. I also thank and welcome all the delegates of “American Kuchipudi Dance Convention”. The valuable interactions, priceless lecture demos, and heart accelerating performances of this convention will bring a new era of gurus from our youth to continue “Guru Shishya Parampara”. Dilip Kondiparti Vice Chairman, Silicon Andhra 5 The Nuances of Kuchipudi Dance Every time an artistic presentation, of anything, strikes chord with our mind, beauty is derived. This leads to happiness and we ruminate that feeling for sometime, the length of which depends on the impact on our mind. These are the moments a child inside us who is dreaming, adventurous and romantic, comes out to make our life lively. Visual arts such as painting, sculpture, dancing etc have more visual appeal that adds more grandeur to the art form. And these art forms generate gratification instantaneously to the viewer. Dance, which combines multiple art forms usually contributes to spellbinding effect on its viewers. And that is why millions of people are related to dance as art form some how. Among the many varieties of this art form, Kuchipudi tradition has been touching the minds and hearts with appealing Nritta, Nritya and Natya. The perennial stream of Kuchipudi has been flowing through generations in India. The community of Kuchipudi in India has done tremendous effort in creating master pieces and adapting the art to every aspect of life. Numerous sages, saints and gurus took the art form to divine heights. In the last century, the springs of Kuchipudi started emanating from continents far away from India as many Kuchipudi experts immigrated. The seeds sowed by these experts turned into successful centers of excellence. The divine Ganga of Kuchipudi originated from the remote village of Andhra Pradesh in India, has been brought to every nook and corner by the students who are now gurus propagating it across the oceans. When a creative mind tries to adapt to its surroundings or faces challenges a new work of art addressing the journey is given