Smt Sailaja Chaudhary
Is the Director of Sri Kuchipudi Natyalaya in Greater Boston. Sailaja is devote teacher and graceful performer. She has composed, performed and directed many Kuchipudi dance ballets,solos & group performances. She started ‘Dance for Cause’ to raise funds for charity organizations. She received dance training from Padmashree Dr. Sobha Naidu. Sailaja has been a professional Kuchipudi teacher for the last 24 years and has been performing for over 34 years.
She has earned many accolades for her performances including – Singar Mani in Kal Ke Kalakar by Sur Singer Samsad. To add to her experience she also choreographed dance ballets, Deepavali and Katha kailika.
Education and Training
She holds Masters Degree in Kuchipudi Classical Dance form from Potti Sriramulu, Telugu University of Hyderabad. She received Government of India scholarship for advanced training in Kuchipudi. She was awarded Natya Visharada from Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad.
Kuchipudi Dance
Kuchipudi is a classical dance from that originated in the village of Kuchipudi, in Southern India. For a long time, the art was presented only at temples and that too only for annual festivals of certain temples in Andhra Pradesh. According to tradition, Kuchipudi dance was originally performed only by men and they all belonged to the Brahmin community. These Brahmin families were known popularly as Bhagavathalu of Kuchipudi. The very first group of Brahmain Bhagavathulu of Kuchipudi was formed in 1502 AD. Their programs were offerings to the deities and they never allowed women in their groups