Kuchipudi Guru Korada Narasimha Rao Passes Away

New Delhi, Jan 5 (UNI) Famed Kuchipudi dancer Korada Narasimha Rao, who was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) award last year, died at Hyderabad yesterday, his family sources said here.

He was 74. He last performed in the national capital with his son and granddaughter at the SNA awards function.

Rao gained fame as the guru and dance partner in Kuchipudi to Indrani Rahman in the late fifties. He travelled and performed across India, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Cuba in 1960 with Indrani and received widespread acclaim for his dramatic and theatrical performances. They performed before many Heads of State, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Queen Elizabeth and Fidel Castro.

Hailing from the farmers' community, he received vigorous training in Kuchipudi for 10 years under the guidance of Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastry and C.R. Acharyulu, and reached perfection as a performer and also as a guru.

Rao learnt 'JHAMUK' nrityam from Korukonda Mavullu Bhagavatar and 'Golla Kalapam' from Chadalavada Samarajyam.

Padma Shree awardees Indrani Rahman and Yamini Krishna Murthy, Ritha Devi, Sudha Dorai Swami, Veena Murthy, Chandra Kala and Gopi Krishna and many others were trained in Kuchipudi under his personal instruction.

He participated in the UNESCO-sponsored International Cultural Festival held at Paris in 1960 and was adjudged the Best Male Dancer in that year,so far only Indian to receive this award.

He championed the cause of Girijans (poor people) in the cultural field and gave them training in Kuchipudi under the sponsorship of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Recognising his illustrious services to the dance form, Andhra Pradesh Sangeetha Nataka Akademi conferred on him the title of "BHARATHA KALA PRAPOORNA".

UNI