Annotated Bibliography on Kuchipudi Dance Sources

Abstract

This paper (an extract from the research report submitted to The Asiatic Society, Mumbai for K.T. Telang Fellowship in Indology, 1996) includes 44 source books, articles and theses written by dance practitioners, scholars and historians on Kuchipudi dance tradition both in English and Telugu language. The major contribution of this work is the translation of Telugu texts into English to enable non-Telugu speaking readership and then presenting the analytic interpretations in brief annotations which is a rare feature in the dance literature in India. It provides an overall view of the historical background and development of Kuchipudi dance tradition as a classical dance form.

The sources, though not exhaustive, are comprehensive enough covering major and significant writings on Kuchipudi dance written in India in the twentieth century till mid 1990s. The annotations provide the perspective of each author on the process of transition and development of Kuchipudi from the earlier dance-drama tradition to the solo format and then the present classical status.