Founder Speaks | Differences between Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi

To the untrained eye, there is little to no difference between Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. In this instalment of our Founder Speaks Series, Sriram along with our Fellows, Sahiti Rachakonda and Shyama Iyer, explain the differences between the two dance forms. Watch this video to learn and understand the unique nuances that help distinguish Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.
IndianRaga's Founder Speaks series is our new segment to share tips and tricks from the IndianRaga production set for aspiring musicians and dancers to develop best practices. Please feel free to comment below on what you think of these tips. Are there any others that you'd like to add? What else would you like Sriram to speak about, please let us know!
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Raga Jams are city-based or online collaborations that bring together the best musicians and dancers to collaborate on high-quality music videos viewed by millions of people globally. The genres we work with are rooted in Indian classical performing arts and include Carnatic music (South Indian classical music), Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), semi-classical music, contemporary and fusion music, Indian classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Kathak, and also ballet, tap, contemporary dance. Our productions also include a wide range of instruments including mridangam, tabla, sitar, violin, flute/bansuri, veena, ghatam, and new-age categories like music arrangement and production with EDM, Trap, Pop amongst others. Our most popular innovations include classical cover songs, a cappella, mashups, and remixes of the latest viral pop hits in both western and Indian music. Anyone can apply to join our collaborations, and you can visit indianraga.com/RagaJam/ for more details and the application process.

[@rameshkoppanathi9043]

I proud to tell I'm a Kuchipudi dancer

[@pranikareddy5549]

Can a 27 year old start ?

[@sanataniektha9446]

im very proud that kuchipudi is formed in a small village known as kuchipudi andhra and Bharata natyam also known as nataraja natyam from our indian states ♥️

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@harryvithurshan24]

Bharata natyam is from tamil nadu

[@user-lw8dr6xx8i]

this helped alot. please do more of these. we don't only want to entertained, we also need to be educated.

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@Ammuuu-z7h]

I am 14 years old and l am currently learning kuchupudi. I have learned all of bharatanatyam and mohiniyattam ❤️

[@UmaShankarKailashi]

The hairstyle for Bharatnatyam is subdued and the Jata should not come to the front.. whereas in Kuchipudi, haristyle is very elaborate very often with a top kondai and very long hair which is allowed to come to the front while dancing (as it is not tied inside the Oddiyanam) and also, there are certain dance items which are done holding the jata when the dancer enters the stage.

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@kimyoung-hwa5631]

They explained in an engaging and simple way. Great!

[@VinodKumar-oh9du]

Bharatanatyam is the mother of all traditional dance forms..

[@mandadipavan2384]

Any evidence sambar

[@goodname3085]

@@mandadipavan2384 it is the oldest dance form. which is why it is also considered as the mother of other Indian classical dance forms.

[@mandadipavan2384]

@@goodname3085 kuchipudi

[@mridulak1166]

Its very difficult to differentiate if you are Not a classical dancer! In Concerts Costume and makeup "Look the same" in Bharatnatyam & Kuchipudi. Bharatnatyam was the OLDEST DANCE IN INDIA -- I was informed this by Dancers of both the classical forms.

[@seanbellfort2298]

🕉️🙏🕉️ Enriching initiative. Keep it up. Thanks. Jai Hind

[@ratan012]

Very nicely explained by the dancers while showing them. Lovely ladies. Pranams & keep spreading those beautiful styles

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@bulu9214]

Outstanding! My lovely India!

[@apocalypticexcavator5454]

thank you so much, it was exactly what I needed!

[@jyotivyas9286]

Wow. I need to know more difference wow between the two bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi👌👌💐👌😊😊😊

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2Oygaelo8Rsb9E

[@dayju24]

Can we also see a video on differences between Bharatanatyam and Odissi?

[@apocalypticexcavator5454]

while we wait for the video, let me say I've found this one very helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5DCiXahiLObqtk I especially like the part starting at 1.30 when you can clearly see the difference between bharatanatyam almost stroboscopic motions when the dancer quickly moves between three stationary positions of her hands while the odissi dancer performs the same dance move in one smooth continous motion.

[@infinite5795]

Totally different, as much as nothing is similar.

[@merladyneptune3908]

This video was amazing! Thank you guys ❤

[@Alia-rk3sb]

wow thank u sahiti and shyama.. i had no clue.

[@bhuneshsuman..]

👌nicely explain👌...No doubt about difference between Bharatanatyam and kuchipudi

[@mdmfnsadj7256]

Thank you for this video!

[@radheshyam9910]

Wow.. Very informative 👌

[@achu490]

That was awesome. ❤❤❤

[@krishnateja7728]

Beautiful.

[@patakotisrinivas1918]

Nice demonstration..

[@gstmadhav]

wonderful explanton

[@dayju24]

Can we see a video on differences in costume?

[@agsreehari9346]

The difference in costume is that in bharathanatyam it uses silk made clothings as of kuchipudi but bharathanatyam doest have a veil or a tail like clothing in back of left leg but kuchipudi has it.

[@dayju24]

@@agsreehari9346 yes I noticed that the back of a Bharatanatyam costume doesn’t have a tail, thank you 😊

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@lakshganesh4776]

There is a difference in the costume also

[@avinashyeluri]

Good one

[@ramanajonnavithula9773]

Kuchipudi❤️❤️❤️

[@pinki13]

Why was the abhinaya of Bharatanatyam cut?

[@Sai_2346]

every part is filmed separately and then added together it's not a single shot video you can clearly see 15 cuts in this video. did you mean to say abhinaya part of of Bharatanatyam was deliberately removed? if is it so, I would love to know what else would you like to add. thanks.

[@VISHNUMIRDHANGAM]

Super

[@akhil8042]

Each should have restricted to telling about their own dance style. Telling about eachothers art forms is even more confusing

[@veeyar]

Why is the kuchipudi dancer dressed in Bharatanatyam attire?

[@geethanjalibalaji5232]

Not so informative but I love kuchipudi more than bharatnatyam

[@hope4you888]

please explain about mohiniyattam

[@agsreehari9346]

Mohiniyattam is much more slower and uses "vilamba kala sangeethas" or the music in 1st speed. Mohiniyattam ,unlike anyother form,is based on lasya format. Mohiniyattam uses only white clothing with golden or any bright coloured borders.

[@agsreehari9346]

Mohiniyattam is mostly used with smaller jathi portions or even lack jathis sometimes. Mohiniyattam is a type bhavasrayi form,which depends more on the expressions and abhinaya to convey things. Mostly boys don't do mohiniyattam but now a days many vidwans or learned ones, do mohiniyattam and also teaches boys too.

[@agsreehari9346]

In mohiniyattam we don't usually use long hair wigs but mostly used upper buns type of hair style.

[@Aniket78728]

👍👍

[@AjayDas-nx9tc]

Sir do girls in India go for learning classical Indian dances or they are interested in disco, pubs, late night partying and car races.

[@namratasoreng2922]

Both. How does it matter?. Indians always love the best of both worlds.

[@oldman7521]

First Learn the pronunciation of the dance name...please...

[@rameshkoppanathi9043]

Kuchipudi is best dance in indian classical

[@kalpavruksharealestate5144]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5i2iaWuaLKcaLs

[@nooraffirmations-yq7mc]

Every dance form has its own beauty

[@saksum15]

No way. Bharatnatyam is the mother of all dance forms.

[@HridayanshTribedi]

​​​@@saksum15not the mother of Sattriya and Manipuri.

[@aksharabhuvanam]

beg your pardon !.please do not mislead people. Bharatanatyam is the fundamental classical form. and kuchipudi, odissi, kathak etc are kind of regional .

[@Sai_2346]

define fundamental? every classical dance is regional and linguistic, Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North, West and Central India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), and Sattriya (Assam).

[@aksharabhuvanam]

@@Sai_2346 fundamental is The Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni. I am sure there is a native dance form in Tamil Nadu too.

[@nalinir2769]

@@aksharabhuvanam native to tamil nadu

[@shalinivarma8086]

@@aksharabhuvanam fundamental??and misses one biggest pillar of abhinaya (vachikabhinaya)?? Please don’t mislead. All dances including Bharatanatyam take references from Natyashastra but have influences of their regions(Deshi). I like your love towards a dance form but please try to understand other forms too.

[@subtohell4427]

@@aksharabhuvanam there are other dance forms which are performed during festivals in rural side temples. They are: AATTAM means dance 🌟Karaga-attam (dancing with decorated pot on head) 🌟Kaavadi-aattam (dance by using special thing called kaavadi (which is also specially associated with God Muruga(Karthikeyan) 🌟Mayil-aattam (Peacock dance) 🌟Silamba-aattam (which is an ancient form of anklet it creates sound when you shake it) (it also plays huge role in Thamizh ancient epic SILAPPATHIKAARAM) 🌟Oyil-aattam (i don't know about this) 🌟Kol-aattam (dance with sticks which also popular in North and West India) 🌟Gummi (group of women will form a circle and sing songs and clapping hands and dance in sync. At Republic day events in Kartavya path, I am sure that any of the dances above will be displayed in Tamilnadu tableu 👍🏻

[@skfoundation39]

Hindi me samjhte sir toh jayda behetar hota...

[@vasanthasenasrinivasan1991]

The main difference is kuchipudi is more of movement whereas Bharata is performed in a more steady manner. Bharatanatyam lays emphasis on Aram and I or half sitting position whereas in kuchipudi due to the constant movement the Armandi is not maintained. Vasantasena. Artiste from Mumbai Maharashtra.