ABOUT KUCHIPUDI WITH ASWATHI
WHAT IS KUCHIPUDI?
As one of the eight major styles of Indian classical dance, Kuchipudi is a dance-drama art form that originated from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi stems from the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra (the science of dance) where various sources estimate the art form was performed as early as the 10th century.
Key aspects of Kuchipudi include quick rhythmic footwork, distinct postures, and expression.
In the modern era, Kuchipudi has gained popularity globally and has been an impactful contributor to the Indian performing arts.
ABOUT ASWATHI
Aswathi Arun Konkoth (formerly Aswathi Kunnath) started her training in Kuchipudi at the age of six in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Since 1994, she has been under the guidance of her guru Smt. Lakshmi Babu of Kuchipudi Dance Academy (KDA) who is a direct disciple of legendary guru Padmashri Dr. Sobha Naidu.
Aswathi completed her rangapravesam at Guruvayur Temple in Kerala, India in 2001 and has been a part of many dance tours all across the East Coast as well as parts of Kerala, India. For numerous years, Aswathi performed competitively through organizations such as AIA (The Association of Indians in America) and IDEA (The Indian Dance Educators Association). In 2004, she was cast as Srinivas/Venkateshwara, the lead role in the dance drama Kalyana Sreenivasa, conducted by her guru Smt. Lakshmi Babu and students of Kuchipudi Dance Academy.
Other notable performances include those at the Asianet Festival in Trivandrum, Kerala, the 26th InterFaith Concert: The Many Voices of One Nation Under God at the Washington National Cathedral, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, and at the National Geographic Bee in 2012 hosted by Alex Trebek.
In 2011, she co-founded an introductory dance program, Little Bells at KDA, for children between the ages of 3-5 in which her students performed at cultural events in the DC Metropolitan area. During the global pandemic, Aswathi has been able to continue dance instruction virtually with students of Kuchipudi Dance Academy and continue her own training working with artists internationally through socially impactful virtual learning initiatives established by her guru.
With two daughters of her own, Aswathi has further prioritized her desire to continue promoting the arts and teaching Kuchipudi to the next generation of students in New York.