Shobha Naidu is an exponent of which classical dance?

Explanation

Shobha Naidu (1956-2020) was one of the leading Kuchipudi dancers of India. She was one of the most famous students of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, the guru who gave Kuchipudi its modern form.

Shobha Naidu was born in Anakapalle, Andhra Pradesh. She began learning dance as a child and joined Vempati Chinna Satyam's Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai at the age of about 12. She became the leading dancer in many of his famous dance-dramas, in which she played roles such as Satyabhama, Padmavati, Chandalika and Menaka. She was known for her grace, her expressive abhinaya and her ability to bring characters to life. She performed in many countries and represented India at many international cultural events. She later founded the Kuchipudi Kalakshetra in Hyderabad, where she trained many students, and she choreographed many solo pieces and dance-dramas. She received the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. She died in Hyderabad in October 2020.

Kuchipudi is the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh, named after the village of Kuchipudi in the Krishna district. It was given its traditional form by Siddhendra Yogi in the 17th century, and his dance-drama Bhama Kalapam, about Satyabhama, is its most famous work. Kuchipudi combines speech, mime and pure dance, and it is known for the Tarangam, in which the dancer balances on the rim of a brass plate. Other famous Kuchipudi dancers include Vempati Chinna Satyam, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Raja and Radha Reddy, Swapnasundari and Manju Bhargavi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kathak is associated with dancers such as Birju Maharaj and Sitara Devi.
• ✗Odissi is associated with dancers such as Kelucharan Mohapatra and Sanjukta Panigrahi.
• ✗Manipuri is associated with dancers such as Guru Bipin Singh and the Jhaveri sisters.