Kuchipudi is named after a village called Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh. Families there performed dance-dramas for many years.
A saint-poet called Siddhendra Yogi is remembered for shaping the dance, around the 1600s.
The dance is quick, bouncy and full of drama. Dancers sometimes speak or sing their lines as they act.
A famous piece is the Tarangam. The dancer stands on the rim of a brass plate and moves the plate across the floor in time with the music.
Some dancers even balance a pot of water on their heads while they do it, without spilling a drop!
Kuchipudi shows that dance can be a game of balance and fun, as well as beauty.
The big ideaBalance comes from staying calm and focused.
Talk about it: Can you walk across the room with a book on your head?
