Kuchipudi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. The dance form originates from a small village named Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh. The Brahmins of this village, Kuchipudi, used to practice and perform this dance form, and so the name.

Kuchipudi, initially was only taught to male students. As time passed, women also picked it up and now we find more women kuchipudi dancers than men. Siddherndra Yogi was the first person to start teaching this dance form. He was the one who restricted the dance form to men only.

A typical Kuchipudi dance performance starts with Ranga Puja when the artists pay their respects to the stage on which they would perform. The dancers pray to Bhudevi, The Goddess of Earth, and ask her to forgive them for stepping on her. This is called ‘Namaskaram’ done before performing or even starting to practice dance.

Kuchipudi performances usually depict characters from ancient stories of God. The Ramayana and Krishna stories are often seen in a performance. Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvathi, Lord Ganesha and the eight forms of Lakshmi are also characters that are seen in Kuchipudi performances. The Mandodhari Shabdham, Ramayana Shabdham, Tillana, and Jathiswaram are amongst the most famous numbers performed.

Initially, the dancers used to sing the song for themselves while they danced. Later they had singers accompanied by musical instruments to sing for them while they danced. The musical instruments used in Kuchipudi recitals are Mridangam, Violin, Flute, and Tambura.

Some of the most famous Kuchipudi dancers are Sobha Naidu, Uma Rama Rao, Jayarama Rao and Swagath Kuchipudi. Many dance academies of Kuchipudi are run not only in India but also all over the world.