The UK’s award-winning dance institute Arunima Kumar Dance Company (AKDC) is back with its popular ‘Rang: International Kuchipudi Festival’, presenting the largest inclusive inter-generational festival of Kuchipudi dance form in the country.
Multi award-winning dancer Arunima Kumar, who has been on a mission to elevate Kuchipudi as a dance form across Britain, connected with iGlobal to share insights into this drive, her recent Diwali offering at 10 Downing Street and the festival coming up at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London.
How was it performing at the Downing Street Diwali Party this week?
Absolutely incredible! Performing at such a historic venue was truly extraordinary. Behind that black door, so many world-shaping decisions have been made, and creating a piece for that space felt extraordinary. The respect and dignity with which the ceremony was conducted were deeply heartwarming, and presenting Kuchipudi at Downing Street for the first time felt like a tremendous honour.
Despite the short notice, I created a piece called ‘Jyotir’ for Diwali to convey its meaning to us. We began with a tribute to the divine feminine energy, honouring the goddess and Navratri, followed by a Bhajan dedicated to Shri Ram, celebrating the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. The timing and setting made it particularly memorable.
I also had the pleasure of working with two young dancers, Arushi and Aishwarya, to pass on elements of this art form – a legacy from our gurus since the 15th century. Their performance was beautiful and received wonderful feedback, making ‘Jyotir’ a truly spiritual and sacred experience.
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How is the International Kuchipudi Festival 2024 shaping up?
The International Kuchipudi Festival is presented annually by the Arunima Kumar Dance Company in collaboration with Bhavan, and we are extremely grateful for the support from Bhavan. We present over 100 artists from across the world, bringing different works in Kuchipudi, cutting-edge classical works, as well as new innovations, and presenting various dimensions of this art form to audiences.
Over time, we’ve built a strong audience for this festival, which now occurs every two years, always bringing something fresh. This year, we’re highlighting the theatre aspect of Kuchipudi, a storytelling tradition that transcends language and history through expressive performance. Whether or not you understand the language, mythology or the history, if you're an audience, you understand theatre, you understand storytelling.
The festival includes participants from all ages, with children as young as four and Counterpoint Dance working with performers over 60. We’re thrilled to feature my Polish students from Natarang Poland, and despite not receiving Arts Council support this year, generous contributors have made the festival possible through a collective effort.
A key element this year is working with live musicians, which is rare in London. For children especially, it’s vital to experience live rhythm, teamwork, and the unique creativity of real-time music – an invaluable departure from predictable recorded tracks. We’re honoured to collaborate with renowned artists like Balachandra Shekar, Puja, Matangi, and Siva Ganesa.
There’s a lot in the works, and we’re eager to share this year’s festival with our audience.
What are some of the highlights of this year's festival?
For me, every performance is special because of the thought, love, and effort poured into each piece. Whether it’s young children opening the show or international dancers joining us, every part of the festival holds meaning. I don’t have a single favourite—I leave that for the audience to decide.
Last festival, my piece on Goddess Kali and her manifestations felt especially powerful. I sensed Kali's energy in that moment, and so did the audience; nobody moved. Many who intended to stay briefly ended up watching the entire performance, and the love I received afterwards was overwhelming. This year, I hope to create a similarly impactful experience, where the audience leaves with something meaningful.
Ultimately, my goal — and the goal of Indian classical arts— is to connect with the audience on a spiritual level, bringing them to a place of deeper understanding. That vision guides my work.
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What can you share about your V&A Museum event?
I’m incredibly grateful for these amazing opportunities. On November 2, we performed at the beautiful Gorvy Theatre in the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of the Boost Festival organised by the V&A. We celebrated a full day dedicated to Kuchipudi, energising the V&A with this art form.
The audience got to experience the joy of Kuchipudi with workshops where people could try a few moves and engage with the essence of the dance. It was an interactive, fun event for the whole family!