As an Indian classical dance aficionado, Kuchipudi dance truly has a special place in my heart. Originating from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, the Kuchipudi dance tradition finds its roots as a dance drama-based art form. Performers would put on dance plays or musicals that depicted characters from Hindu mythology (Kanoj, 53). It has since evolved to include solo dance performances to lively music, but the origin of the dance form is still clear as dancers continue to depict the same colorful and vibrant personalities that painted the productions of the distant past.
One such beloved character is that of Satyabhama. She is depicted in the piece Bhama Kalapam, written by Siddhendra Yogi in the 13th century, tracing back to the origin of Kuchipudi (Kanoj,53). She is the wife of major god Krishna, and slayer of the demon Narakasura. The piece depicts the different sides to Satyabhama, who is heralded as one of the most complex and diverse characters to play in a Kuchipudi dance. That is why she remains my favorite character to play in all of Kuchipudi.
In this work, Satyabhama talks about herself and her struggles to her friends, whom she references often. Satyabhama is very prideful in her femininity and beauty, describing how she has enraptured the heart of the great Krishna and prevailed over thousands of others because of it.
She even starts off by saying:
“Bhamane… Saytabhamane”. (Retrieved from: http://www.kuchipudi.com/glossary/glossary16/)
She says in this line that she is THE Satyabhama. The way she talks about her name itself shows how much pride she holds in being herself. She goes on equate herself to the arrow of love and a beautiful chrysanthemum blossom in later lines. In this portion of the dance, I would personally interpret her lyrics by holding my head up high and scoffing at the audience. I would want to create an impression on the audience that this character has an attitude that she knows she is the best and shows it freely.
Throughout the piece, she goes through a range of emotions, from extreme pride, to worry, to love, to sadness. What makes this piece so fun to do is because of how quickly her emotion switches. She goes one moment from describing how she is the dear daughter of a great king to lamenting about her fight with her husband that is causing him to be distant from her.
Due to her quick changes from pride to lament, the piece takes on a slightly comical nature. She goes so quickly from being so full of herself to suddenly worrying about where Krishna is in a split second. However, this does not mean that Satyabhama is a comedic character. She is strong and fierce. It is simply that one cannot hold any reservations when depicting her emotions. You must be willing to completely throw yourself into any emotion that she is feeling completely, so that the contrast feels starker as you go on with the piece. You must submit yourself to complete worry or sadness, or complete pride.
In my interpretation of Satyabhama, there is nothing delicate or fragile about her. She is a bold kaleidoscope, with angles and vibrant colors, switching her emotions like a whip.
Sources:
SRI PADMAVATI MAHILA VISVAVIDYALAYAM TIRUPATI – 517 502 (A.P.) Advanced Diploma Level 2 Self Learning Material Kuchipudi Theory by Dr. Himabindu Kanoj
This is an awesome first blog post, and if this is what we’ll see from now on, sign me up. I really enjoyed how you went in-depth into the examples and explanations of each part of the dance, followed up without fail with how you would choose to interpret and portray each and every aspect–for example, you indicated that you would hold your head high and scoff at the audience in order to give off an air of superiority and pride. It’s also interesting how the work itself does a fantastic job at depicting Satyabhama as a three-dimensional character–not just comedic, not just tragic or prideful, but a realistic and reasonable mix. This was a super interesting read, and I wait patiently for the next one!
Really cool post! It was well-organized and interesting to read. Keep up the good work! – VP
Hi, this is a super blog post. I think it blurs the line between being cool and funny when talking about Satyabhama, which makes sense given that she is a partly comic, partly dramatic character. For example, comparing oneself to an arrow of love while also asserting your superiority over everyone is both something that if someone were to do in real life would be obnoxious and bizarre — and therefore is very fit for making a stageable character. Anyway cool blog and I’m excited to see what you do for your next one.