A dance troupe comprising young shepherds and students belonging to S.M. Puram, a tiny village in Srikakulam district, is on a mission to showcase the beauty of their community folk dance, Tappetagullu.
The 15-member troupe led by Guru Korada Ramaiah earned laurels when they gave performances recently in New Delhi and at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan during their journey to keep it alive. The young dancers also stole the hearts of the audience with their performance on the first day of the Krishna Pushkaram at Nagayalanka. Tappetagullu is one of the folk dance forms of North Andhra Pradesh that is losing sheen, owing to lack of interest among the youth to learn it.
“I studied to be a teacher and am now teaching in a local school. My love of the dance is alive. I feel it is my responsibility to showcase it at every possible venue,” said dancer Korada Satti Raju. Like Mr. Raju, Borli Murali Krishna, P. Mohan and Ch. Koteswara Rao too have the dream of nurturing and spreading the dance form, performed by the Yadava community.
The young dancers earned respect from their elders for their contribution to the dying dance form. “Most of us are shepherds. All our troupe members meet for practice and plan tours. Performing the dance continues to be an important aspect of our life. It requires great energy for those who want to learn it,” said Avala Ramana, another dancer and a shepherd by profession.
The dance involves components such as storytelling, beat of the drum that is tied to the chest and a rhythmic coordination between the drum beat and the ankle bells. The troupe has been groomed by renowned Guru Korada Adinarayana, who passed away recently.
