Once dancers have trained in Kuchipudi for a number of years, they are affectionately named Lotus Blossoms, and continue training towards a lifetime of movement. Kuchipudi is a highly rhythmic and expressive form that trains dancers to embody a full range of speed, with up to some of the fastest choreographies of any Indian dance tradition. At Sutradhar, dancers learn both nritta (abstract movement) and abhinaya (expressive storytelling), and are prepared to celebrate art and community both on and off the stage. Each class includes a traditional opening (pranam) as dancers greet the space, then adavus or rhythmic drills, and then new lessons in repertoire and original choreography. Dancers are trained in the original technique of storytelling passed down from the Bhagavatullu theater era, through which the mimetic map of hand gestures, metaphors, and the inner recesses of the heart are explored in the studio space. Please see our enroll page for more information.