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NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 4, 2004: When 53-year-old Kuchipudi maestro Jayarama Rao and his wife Vanashree traveled to China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia to perform, they were amazed at the appreciation shown towards them for their art form in these countries. Rao says, “What beautiful expressions, what costumes, and what rhythm, they said at all the places we performed. All these countries in eastern Asia have very strong cultures, and are traditionally rich. They enjoy our dance, because they understand our practices and our discipline. In fact our dances and those of Thailand have a lot of similarities, but our music and way of performing is different. In Japan, people told me I look like a god! India should send more and more dancers abroad because foreigners are crazy about Indian dance. That is how they perceive our culture.” The article explains, “In June, 2004, Rao was bestowed the Padma Sri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian award given for outstanding contribution to the country. Today, the centuries-old Kuchipudi dance, which originated as a temple dance from a village of the same name in Andhra Pradesh, is reckoned as one of the most popular Indian classical dances abroad.” Vanadhree Rao says, “People are especially amazed as to how we manage to dance on a brass plate, and the way our rhythm keeps changing throughout the dance. At first I was worried. The Chinese especially are so adept at gymnastics and other art forms, I feared they would take our dances lightly. Sometimes, it is sad, but we feel more appreciated abroad than in India,”

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