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Andhra Natyam is a classical dance form originating from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. This traditional dance form, having a history of 2000 years, was lost in the Mughal and British era, and was revived in the 20th century.
Contents
Introduction
This dance form is essentially performed by females, characterised by rich footwork and Abhinaya. The musical instruments accompanying the dance include mridangam, manjira, veena, the violin, venu, tanpura, surpeti and kanjira.
Origin
It is derived from various dance forms and has strong similarities with Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam, including older dance styles like Dasiattam, Kacherittam and Chinnamelam. Though it originated in temples, it was also performed by the courtesans known as kalavantulu in Telugu, open-air public performances known as Kalopam are a part of Andhra Natyam.