Raja and Radha Reddy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Raja Reddy (1943-10-06)6 October 1943 (age 82) Narsapur(g),hyderabad state Radha Reddy (1955-02-15)15 February 1955 (age 70) Kotalgaon,Hyderabad State, India |
| Known for | Indian Classical Dance |
| Movement | Kuchipudi |
| Awards | Padma Shri Padma Bhushan(2000) |
| Website | rajaradhareddy |
Raja (born 6 October 1943) andRadha Reddy (born 15 February 1955) are an IndianKuchipudi dancing couple,gurus and choreographers. They are renowned as exponents of the South Indian dance form ofKuchipudi. They founded and run the Natya Tarangini Institute of Kuchipudi Dance in New Delhi. The duo are credited with having given Kuchipudi a new dimension without compromising on its traditional virtues.[1][2] For their services to the field of arts, theGovernment of India has conferred on them thePadma Shri andPadma Bhushan awards.[3][4]
Raja Reddy was born on 6 October 1943 in Narasapur(g)[clarification needed],[3][5] while Radha Reddy was born on 15 February 1955 in Kotalgaon,Adilabad district of present-dayTelangana.[4][6]
Raja Reddy holds a Diploma in Choreography and has a bachelor's degree from theOsmania University. Radha Reddy also has a Diploma in Choreography. In 2010 the duo were conferred honorary doctorates by theUniversity of Hyderabad for their contributions to Kuchipudi.[2] Raja Reddy is married to Radha and her sister Kaushalya, also a Kuchipudi dancer.[7][8]
Raja Radha Reddy and Kaushalya have two childrenYamini andBhavana Reddy, also Kuchipudi dancers.[8]
Raja Reddy's interest in Kuchipudi began in childhood as he watched performances of KuchipudiBhagavatam by touring folk troupes in his home district ofAdilabad and later reached a turning point after he saw a performance of Vyjayanthimala’sNagin.[9] Radha followed him into Kuchipudi after their wedding. The duo learnt Kuchipudi under theirguru Vedantam Prahalada Sarma ofEluru. In 1966, on aGovernment of Andhra Pradesh scholarship, they went toDelhi where they studied choreography and other stage arts under GuruMaya Rao at Natya Ballet Centre.[10] Their talent was soon noted and they were invited to dance with doyen of the time includingIndrani Rehman. Their first big break came in 1970 when their performance at the Theatre Tamil Nadu was widely well reviewed and received.[11] Their performances were also noted by the thenMinister for Tourism,Dr. Karan Singh and byPrime MinisterIndira Gandhi who allotted them a house in Delhi after witnessing their performance during the celebrations ofNehru's birth anniversary.[9][10] They have since gone on to perform at venues all over the globe. Raja trained students withhearing andspeech impairment and at the Blind Relief Association. He has also set to dance a piece based on three poems of formerPresidentAPJ Abdul Kalam.[12] In their careers spanning over five decades and still counting, Drs.Raja and Radha Reddy are the first Indian dancers to perform in the International Dance Festival of Avignon in France and Salzburg (Austria) and the Festivals of India in the USA, UK and Bangladesh. In Ja Radha Reddy inaugurated the "Play House Theatre" in Durban (South Africa) when it was opened to general public post-apartheid, they performed on Mississippi river for the Late President Ford (facilitated by T.N Kaul, then Indian Ambassador to the US) and a galaxy of notable personalities across the globe. They have been conferred India's highest civilian awards Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Nritya Choodamani Awards. They choreographed for the tree of knowledge segment in theCommonwealth Games opening ceremony inDelhi 2010.[citation needed]
Raja and Radha started the Natya Tarangini Institute of Kuchipudi dance, which is located in theSaket locality of New Delhi.[10] The institute trains students in classical dance, music,yoga andSanskrit. The institute also has a mini auditorium, an art gallery and hostel facility on its premises.[11] The Institute hosts the annual dance and music festival, Parampara Series[13] as well as the Shreyasi International Dance Festival which showcases artistes drawn from across the world. The Moscow Classical Ballet, thePaul Taylor Dance Company,flamenco dancer Jose Porcel andwhirling dervishes are among the groups that have performed at the festival.[14]
