Deepika Reddy is recognized as an accomplished performer, a creative choreographer, a cultural ambassador and a dedicated Guru. She is acknowledged as one of the leading exponents of the Kuchipudi art form in the present times and is relentlessly striving to propagate the classical dance form of Kuchipudi. Recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the Year 2017 : For Kuchipudi, from President of India.

02/03/2019
Deepika Reddy Kuchipudi Dancer :

President of India to confer Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the Year 2017 : For Kuchipudi.

1. Profile :-

Deepika Reddy is recognized as an accomplished performer, a creative choreographer, a cultural ambassador and a dedicated Guru. She is acknowledged as one of the leading exponents of the Kuchipudi art form in the present times and is relentlessly striving to propagate the classical dance form of Kuchipudi.

Thoroughly groomed by the legendary Guru Padma Bhushan Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, she mirrors his exclusive technique with ease and élan.

Deepika has performed extensively in prestigious dance festivals in the country and has also been a cultural ambassador for ICCR. Some of her memorable performances abroad are: performing at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in the presence of President of India, Prime Minister of India and the Russian President; the privilege she had to perform in the Sri Lankan Parliament; performing at the inaugural of “Year of India” at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia; she being conferred honorary citizenship after her performance in Hiroshima, Japan. She has given over 20 performances in France, including some at Musée Guimet (Paris). Other places she has toured are Eastern Europe, Singapore, Turkey, Indonesia, Germany and the United States. She had an extensive tour of South Korea and also performed at the 12th International Bangkok Festival where she choreographed and presented Kuchipudi in the production “Ritu Samhar” directed by Pandit Birju Maharaj.

Deepika Reddy is the recipient of the following awards: ‘Kala Ratna’ the highest award conferred by the state of Andhra Pradesh in 2007; ‘Akkineni Nageswara Rao Swarna Kankanam’ 2011, ‘Yagna Raman Award for Excellence 2009’ by Krishna Gana Sabha, ‘Natya Ilavarasi’, ‘Natya Visharada’, ‘Pancharatna Mahila Puraskar’, ‘Kalatarang’, ‘Rashtriya Vikas Shiromani’ and ‘Natya Mani’. She was a former member of the Regional Film Censor Board and a jury member of the Nandi State Film Awards. She was the Chairperson of the Cultural Committee for the International Children Film Festival November, 2011.

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2. Deepika Reddy :

The Guru :-

Relentlessly striving for the propagation of Kuchipudi, Deepika’s focus is to give holistic training to her disciples and brings out the best in them, teaching seven days a week. Her method of teaching encourages each disciple to realize and harness their individual skill potential. She has been Kuchipudi practical’s lecturer at the Rajiv Gandhi Open University. She has been invited to train faculty at CCRT and also to give lecture demonstrations at various institutes. She presented a paper on ‘Renaissance of Art, Science and Sport’ at the reputed Indian School of Business. She has received great appreciation for her TEDX talk ‘Divine Form of Expression’.

The Passion :-

Deepika Reddy is acclaimed as one of the leading exponents of the Kuchipudi art form in the present times. Her journey in dance started 45 years ago and she had her Rangapravesham in the year 1976. She is passionate and is relentlessly striving to propagate the classical dance form of Kuchipudi which reflects the rich cultural heritage of our country.

As a performer she showcases the ancient art form across India and the world. As a choreographer she brings subjects of mythological, cultural and topical interest to delight a diverse audience.

As a Guru she imparts holistic training to enable youngsters to excel in performing. As an administrator she strives to sustain an environment conducive for disciples to do their best at the dance school

The Performer :-

Thoroughly groomed by the legendary Guru Padma Bhushan recipient Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, she mirrors his exclusive technique with ease and élan and has secured a niche for herself in the world of performing arts. Deepika has performed in prestigious dance festivals in the country and has also extensively traveled abroad. Some of her tours were as a cultural ambassador under the aegis of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Some of her memorable performances are:

Closing Ceremony – Festival of India – Berlin, Germany – in the presence of the Prime Minister of India and eminent German dignitaries.

Ashoka Hall, Rashtrapathi Bhavan – in honour of the visiting Russian President.

Deepanjali :-

About the Deepanjali

With a passion to take Kuchipudi to the next generation, Deepika Reddy founded Deepanjali in the year 2000, an institute striving for excellence in the field of Kuchipudi. No child with enthusiasm to learn this classical art form is denied an opportunity on account of economically or socially disadvantaged position. This institute is currently well-staffed and endowed with a grant from the Ministry of Culture and imparts training to hundreds of students. Her students have been conferred with CCRT scholarships and have been graded by Doordarshan. Many students have performed their Rangapravesams and are now performing as solo dancers.

Awards :-

Deepika Reddy is the recipient of the following awards:

Telangana Govt. State Award on June 2, 2016
‘Kala Ratna’ highest award conferred by the state of Andhra Pradesh the in 2007
‘Nritya Choodamani’ by Krishna Gana Sabha in 2014
'Nataraja Samman' by Sadguru Sri Thyagabrahma Aradhana Kainkarya Trust
‘Natya Kalasarathy’ by Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in 2015
‘Devdasi National Award’
‘Akkineni Nageswara Rao Swarna Kankanam’
‘Vani Kala Sudhakara’ by Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai
‘Yagna Raman Award for Excellence 2009’ by Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai
‘Natya Ilavarasi’
‘Natya Visharada’
‘Pancharatna Mahila Puraskar’
‘Kalatarang’
‘Rashtriya Vikas Shiromani’
‘Natya Mani’

She has been graded as an “A-Top Grade” artiste by Doordarshan. She was a member of AP State Cultural Council, Regional Film Censor Board, jury of Nandi State Film Awards and former Chairperson of the Cultural Committee of the International Children’s Film Festival.

Productions : -

Stri Trayam
Jayosthu Kuchipudi
Andhramu
Tyagaraja Bhakthi Vaibhavam
Rang
Ramaneeya Prakrithi
Vande Shambum
Griha kalpam
Prakrithi Rakshathi Rakshithaha
Hari Hara Vaibhavam
Vaidyo Narayano Harihi
Shiva Satheeyam
Telangana Vaibhavam

Performances :-

12th International Bangkok Festival and Jeonju Sori International Festival South Korea – She choreographed and performed Kuchipudi in the production “Ritu Samhara” directed by the living legend, Padma Vibhushan recipient, Pandit Birju Maharaj where six styles of classical Indian dance are brought on a single platform.

Sri Lankan Parliament, Colombo – Deepika had the privilege to perform at the Sri Lankan Parliament in the presence of eminent dignitaries, on the special invitation of the Hon’ble Speaker Mr. Lokubandra.

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow – On the occasion of the inaugural of the ‘Year of India’, Deepika showcased Kuchipudi along with her disciples.

Hiroshima, Japan – Specially choreographed and presented Kuchipudi emphasizing the importance of world peace especially with reference to the harrowing times the city went through at the end of the 2nd world war. On this occasion she was honoured with conferment of honorary citizenship.

Tour of France – Deepika received many an accolade presenting Kuchipudi at over 20 centres in an extensive tour of France. The highlight of the tour was a presentation to an audience of connoisseurs of performing arts, at the renowned Musée Guimet in Paris.’

ICCR sponsored tour of Serbia and Turkey – Deepika presented 15 performances through Serbia and Turkey, well appreciated by the audiences and received rave reviews from the local press.

Govt. of Andhra Pradesh sponsored tours of Singapore and Indonesia – Deepika showcased special Kuchipudi productions highlighting the tourist and pilgrimage destinations of Andhra Pradesh.

Raj Bhavan, Chennai – Specially choreographed and performed classical Kuchipudi dance repertoire based on the patriotic songs in the presence the Governor of Tamil Nadu on the occasion of Republic Day.

Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad – Ugadi celebrations of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Dance Festivals in India – Some of the prestigious dance festivals where Deepika performed are: Khajuraho, Kalakshetra, SNA/DIAF, Konark, Chidambaram, Mahabalipuram, Perur Natyanjali, Mudra, Golconda, Dhauli, Chalukya, Taramati Baradari, Kinkini, Sica, Sangit Kala Mandir Kolkata, Spic Macay, NCPA Mumbai, etc.

Chennai Sabhas – Deepika performs regularly at renowned Sabhas in Chennai like Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha, Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Indian Fine Arts, Karthik Fine Arts etc.

Performances in Delhi – Deepika performed at various shows at the India International Centre, the India Habitat Centre, Kamani Auditorium and many prestigious dance festivals.

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3. Keeping cultural heritage alive : RESHMI CHAKRAVORTY : DECCAN CHRONICLE

“Deepika will certainly be among the danseuses who carry the torch of Indian dance forward with distinction” read the headline of an article published in the Deccan Chronicle when she made her debut in 1976. And how right it was. 47 years and hundreds of magnificent Kuchipudi performances later, Deepika Reddy has been chosen as a recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

“When I got the news I was overwhelmed with joy. My decades-long journey passed through my mind in a flash, bringing happy tears to my eyes. This recognition has made me more responsible,” Deepika says. Reminiscing her introduction to dance, she says, “Dance has been an integral part of my life. When I was a kid, I would watch the performances of stalwarts and be mesmerised by them.”

Coming from a culturally-inclined family, it was only a matter of time before she took her first steps on stage. “When I started learning Kuchipudi, I followed my gurus blindly, trusting them. Fortunately, I never felt any stage fear, but my mother, who was a Bharatanatyam dancer herself, was nervous before my Rangapravesam. Both my parents were lovers of the performing arts. They urged me to follow my heart,” she says.

Interestingly, it was Deepika’s mother who felt that her body language would be better suited to Kuchipudi than to Bharatanatyam. And the tryst with dance that began then hasn’t ended since. Deepika says that she is lucky to have a husband and in-laws who are fans of her work. “My husband Shyam Gopal Reddy has always encouraged me to break barriers. He is my pillar of strength, and my mother-in-law is my biggest fan. We were family friends before I got married. My mother-in-law has even preserved my Rangapravesam brochure,” she says, fondly.

The family’s love for the performing arts doesn’t end with her; Deepika has passed on the baton to her twins Shloka and Abhinav. Shloka is a Kuchipudi dancer, like her mother, and Abhinav is a trained Carnatic singer as well as a tennis player.

Being performers themselves, the kids understand that shows keep her away from home for days at a stretch. “My children have never complained that I am not around. They’ve always encouraged me to travel and perform all over the world,” Deepika says, adding, “I recently performed in Turkey, where I last performed in 2007. After the show, a few guests came up to me and said that they had watched me in 2007, and they remembered me. It felt really nice.”

The veteran dancer’s performances are not confined to traditional themes and mythological stories. She also uses them to promote the art and crafts of the Telugu states and address environmental issues, without diverting from the grammar that governs Kuchipudi. “My evolution as a performer is ongoing. I began as a student, then became a performer, a guru, and finally a choreographer. I have enjoyed all the roles equally, but I feel the role of a guru and a choreographer is most challenging. You have to understand each student’s capabilities and guide them accordingly. I want every show that I am a part of to be memorable. The organisers should invite me again solely for my talent, and not because someone has recommended me,” the danseuse concludes.

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4. ‘I couldn’t have done it on my own’, says Deepika Reddy on winning Sangeet Natak Akademi award : Srivathsan Nadadhur : THE HINDU

Kuchipudi dancer Deepika Reddy has always stayed true to the form despite changing tastes

The award has made the Kuchipudi dancer more responsible
A young disciple of danseuse Sumati Kaushal made the stage her own in 1976 at her rangapravesam. The media gave glowing reviews to her performance, she was addressed as the ‘torchbearer who could carry the mantle of the Kuchipudi form’ by a noted art critic. The child was Deepika Reddy. Over four decades later, the artiste has lived up to that comment, contributing to the dance form so well that she was selected for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award this year. Every pat on the back is well deserved by an artiste, but the stakes have only gotten higher with this honour, the dancer insists.

“Being handpicked by revered peers, gurus and stalwarts in this arena is a different high. This increases my responsibility further. I have to be very careful of my next step,” she says, despite being happy. The stage has been her learning ground for 47 years now. While dance has been an integral element of her life, she’s been instrumental in handing over the baton to the next generation whenever necessary. She considers this win as a timely reminder to enhance here contribution to the form.

Her only wish was to receive this in the presence of her guru Vempati China Sathyam. Deepika’s dance school Deepanjali bears a life-sized portrait of the legendary dancer in the traditional Nataraja pose, adjacent to the latter’s bronze idol. “Not a day goes by without offering pranams to Vempati garu and the Lord of dance. He has given us an ocean of knowledge, we are swimming and trying to discover new subjects in that ocean.”

Contemporary themes

Deepika has often channelised her talents to changing tastes of art aficionados over the years, though never moving away from the grammar that constitutes Kuchipudi. She has dealt with issues of immediate and contemporary relevance — promoting the use of natural dyes, crafts of the Telugu states, trees, environmental conservation. The balance of information, style and the packaging for a newer audience has been a challenge, but she found the attempts fulfilling. “These are an artistic representation of reality, if not absolute.” A lot of her dance pieces have revolved around the history of Telangana, its tourist attractions, littérateurs and other art forms. “Telangana government’s contribution through my journey has been immense, I give back to them in my own little way. I’ve tried to explore the beauty of Charminar, Golkonda, Taramati Baradari through my presentations.”

The dancer’s prowess has come to the fore at many site-specific performances — the backdrops of Khajuraho, Konark, Golkonda have added another layer to her storytelling. “The ambience is breathtaking. The historic places bring out your creative best, the atmosphere works like a package, helping us create great rasanubhuti.” One of her lec-dems also had her showing fear and the mental agony for those trapped in the Taj hotel on the 26/11 blasts. Prakruti rakshati rakshataha, her ode to nature had her students show a building through a pataka mudra.

Internalising roles has been a key element in her dance career. She grew up watching a handful of mythological movies and she attributes her ease in performing characters of both genders to this. “Imbibing the body language comes naturally to me. Say for Draupadi, I think what it means to be disrobed in front of an entire sabha. One of my favourites as a dancer is also playing Mandodari, she questions Raavana about his interest in another man’s wife despite having a woman who has surrendered herself to him.”

Evolution as guru :-

‘I couldn’t have done it on my own’, says Deepika Reddy on winning Sangeet Natak Akademi award
Age presents its own challenges with art forms, Deepika has attuned her choreography skills accordingly. From being the girl who strictly obeyed her gurus to bettering her nuances in her teens and growing into a thinking dancer, life has come full circle with her stint as a teacher. “When we start teaching, we really grow. I’ve become a better dancer after I became a teacher. I feel I’ve become a complete artiste in the process. Each child needs to be trained in a different way and the efforts I have taken to present Kuchipudi to them in an understandable form, about the rasas and emotions have matured me a lot.” The choreography skills bettered with time, she spent time on reading, research and various elements that go into a presentation. “We get better with age and experience. Thankfully, I never miss my workouts. I’ll adapt my choreography and age gracefully.”

Her students have started their own dance schools now. “They’re continuing the art form, even after me there’ll be many more, that gives me great joy. The way I teach my students is different, we travel together and are like friends. I’m a taskmaster as long as the class is on, but many address me as their mother later.” The whole experience has made her a better human being.

International adulation has often come her way in places like Turkey and France too. Westernisation poses a challenge to the art form, she admits. Yet many parents initiate their children into Kuchipudi. “Youngsters may have a contemporary outlook towards life but haven’t lost their respect for the form.” Her only word of advice to students who plan to make dance a full-time career, “It is a challenging profession, don’t depend only on this. You should multi-task and pursue other jobs as well. Only when you grow in confidence and realise that’s your true vocation, then make that shift as a full-time dancer. Always have something to fall back on. Dance tests your rhythm, spontaneity, it’ll also help you excel in other fields.”

She wishes to do her bit to revive the conditions of dancers at the Kuchipudi village too. “The Government is doing its bit to improve the conditions there, the authorities know we are only a phone call away, we work as one family.” Deepika feels blessed to have been in a family that has encouraged her pursuits and yet criticised when necessary. Her mother has been a dancer, her brother plays the mridangam, her husband contributes to her dance items. “I always take inputs from my students, there’s no place for ego. That’s how everyone learns. The opportunity to work with legends like Birju Maharaj and many great musicians has added to me getting wider recognition and eventually this prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi. I owe a lot to them in my journey. I couldn’t have done it on my own,” she signs off.

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5. Dancing to life’s Thillana : Vishnupriya Bhandaram : THE HINDU

Kuchipudi dancer Deepika Reddy. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu | Photo Credit: K_RAMESH BABU

Deepika Reddy talks about the importance of being a ‘thinking dancer’, Vishnupriya Bhandaram listens in
It’s hard to walk into danseuse Deepika Reddy’s residence in Film Nagar and not notice the mix of mid-modern and Victorian furniture in her house. It is perhaps reflective of the dancer’s dexterity in contemporising dance without delineating from grammar and tradition. Everything about Deepika Reddy evokes a sense of grace and this is exemplified as she walks into the room with an effervescent smile and a posture that speaks volumes about her years of training in Kuchipudi.

A claim that she is an accomplished dancer and choreographer is well supported when you look around and spot numerous awards adorning every available corner-table in the house. Deepika was conferred with the ‘Kala Ratna’, by the state of Andhra Pradesh in 2007. The ‘Akkineni Nageswara Rao Swarna Kankanam’ 2011, ‘Yagna Raman Award for Excellence 2009’ by Krishna Gana Sabha, ‘Natya Ilavarasi’, ‘Natya Visharada’, ‘Pancharatna Mahila Puraskar’, ‘Kalatarang’, ‘Rashtriya Vikas Shiromani’ and ‘Natya Mani’ are just few of the many feathers in her cap. Deepika Reddy has remained as a former member of the Regional Film Censor Board and a jury member of the Nandi State Film Awards.

Surely, the awards and the accolades didn’t come overnight; Deepika Reddy was initiated into learning Kuchipudi at the age of six by her mother, who was also a dancer. “My mother tells me that when I was born, the gynaecologist had predicted that I was going to become a dancer,” she laughs. Deepika took on to the stage unabashedly and without fear and gave her first performance at the age of 11. Growing up, did Deepika ever develop a lackadaisical attitude towards dancing? Au Contraire, says Deepika. “I never wanted to bunk dance classes and never missed a class. It was something I did from the bottom of my heart,” she says. Support from her family, especially her father led her to understand the dance in its purest form. “My father used to make sure that I watch and meet senior artistes from the field,” she adds.

On one such occasion, Deepika watched Vempati Chinna Sathyam and got inspired and decided to become his student. “I tried convincing my parents to let me to go Chennai to learn under him but I could do it only after I got married. It was easier for me to convince my husband to let me pursue my passion,” she smiles. Deepika believes that it is under her Guru Vempati’s guidance that she shone. “Hostel life taught me a lot more than I had imagined — the value of money, the importance of discipline. I have to rough it out, it was truly engaging experience and I had to immerse in and commit myself to dance completely,” says Deepika.

Ill health caused Deepika to refrain from dancing for over seven years. “It was a depressing time in my life. I stopped going to recitals because that made me feel worse. I was written off in the circles and nobody thought I’ll make a comeback,” recalls Deepika. It was only when her Guru Vempati wrote to her and asked her to come back and perform again under his aegis that Deepika decided to get back to dancing. “I still have the letter he wrote. I was rusted and he asked me to practice and get back into the groove,” she says. Deepika performed again in the year 2000 and there has been no looking back. Agreeing to teach two students was perhaps the beginning to her institute, within a year; she started Deepanjali School for Kuchipudi. “It is my ode to dance. Deepa is my nickname and so it’s like me paying anjali (homage) to dance,” beams Deepika. She shares that no student unable to pay fees has ever been turned away from the school. “It’s nice to give a little back to the community,” feels Deepika. Today over 160 students learn under Deepika. She confesses with a grin that she has become a better performer after having begun to teach. “Teaching has enriched the whole art for me. I have developed such a bond with my students,” she says. A strict teacher, she maintains discipline in class, but outside she reaches out.

While Deepika indulges in the repertoire and the margam for Sabhas, she is is unafraid of using technology to aid her dance as she uses audio visual presentations for her performances abroad and outside of Sabha recitals. “How can you expect foreign audiences to understand the elephant God, you explain it to them,” she says. Deepika engages a plethora of themes in her dance to enable better understanding of her dance from the audience. Recently Deepika produced a dance ballet with an environmental theme. “My husband and I watched Al Gore’s ‘An inconvenient truth’ and were deeply affected and decided to do something on those lines,” she mentions.

The creative process is such that, she sits with her husband and pens a story and then gets a scriptwriter to lay it out followed by inputs from the music director. The choreography is then planned carefully. Aesthetics, Deepika feels are extremely important for the success of any dance recital. “It’s not like films, but it is similar. A good dance comes from a collaboration of many,” she says. She uses naturally produced fabric. Deepika has performed in numerous countries and her attempt to globalise her dance has perhaps struck a chord with audiences from across the world. Deepika remembers an incident when it was cold she was standing barefoot and a man took off a coat and asked her to stand on it. “Moments like those are humbling and you realise that your work is valued,” she says.

Where there is art, there is criticism and that is what perhaps is so beautiful about it. On critics, Deepika quickly grabs the ‘my husband is my biggest critic card’. “My husband, Shyam Gopal is the one always going ‘chop chop’ on my productions. He really knows the pulse of the audience and helps me carry on a production that sticks to the audience,” she says. Criticism, she feels is extremely important and says, “I agree that it can be upsetting but it makes you stronger and better at what you do. Of course you have to take it in stride and not let it bog you down,” she signs off.

Guru and Shishya :-

Parents always want children to have a good back up with education. Deepika agrees and says that dance requires hard work, commitment, sacrifice and time management. If you want to dance, you ought to be able to make small sacrifices says Deepika. “But I believe children should be initiated into learning the classical art forms from a young age. It helps in developing their acumen,” she says. It’s important to keep our heritage alive feels Deepika and help in taking it to a global level.

Deepika’s twins are well versed in the classical art forms as well. Her daughter Shloka recently got a national scholarship in dance from Centre for Cultural resources and training (CCRT) and her son, Abhinav Reddy gives small concerts in Carnatic music.

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