Artist Profile

Akhila is a Kuchipudi artist who lives in the USA.  Her introduction to classical Indian dance began with Bharatanatyam under Vidya Vedanarayan, a Kalakshetra trained teacher in Mississippi.  During a summer trip to Hyderabad as a teenager, she got the chance to learn in Padmasri Sobha Naidu's Kuchipudi dance academy.  Dancing all evening in class and watching the legend of expression herself dance, Akhila felt an inexplicable pull towards Kuchipudi.   She was fortunate to be encouraged at this early stage by Smt. Vidya Murthy a visiting Kuchipudi guru the very next summer.  However it was the day she and her mother drove to Tennessee to witness the dance drama (or a ballet) Ardha Nareeswara by the late Padmabhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam's troupe that Akhila's life took a turn.  It was here she experienced the splendor of Kuchipudi in its full glory.  It was alaso here she first witnessed the great Sasikala Penumarthi, Padmabhushan Vempati's dearest disciple and Parvathi in the ballet, who would go on to become her lifelong Guru.  From the very next summer Akhila's parents dedicated their lives to their daughter's passion, driving her two states over to Atlanta every possible opportunity to train with Guru Sasikala.  

With the unique blessing of staying with Guru Sasikala for long periods of time through college, Akhila learned Kuchipudi in the true Guru-Sishya (Teacher-student) tradition for many years.  In Guru Sasikala she found not only a teacher but a second mother.  Akhila moved to Atlanta after both her undergraduate and masters degrees in order to receive advanced training in performance and choreography from her Guru.  Akhila is fortunate to also deepen her study of the art with and find a mentor in the eminent Guru Bala Kondala Rao of Vizag, India--renowned disciple of Guru Vempati and teacher to many great Kuchipudi dancers today.

Since her solo debut in 2009 Akhila has performed at various cultural and arts events in the U.S. both solo and with her gurus.  She has been invited to perform at reputed universities in the US including Middlebury College, Emory University, and UNC Chapel Hill, where she also gave lecture demonstrations.  Akhila has performed in recitals and festivals in various cities of India including: Kuchipudi village, Cuttack, Orissa, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Vizag.  Most recently she was invited by a international NGO to perform Kuchipudi for the first time in the historic Lansdowne Club in Mayfair, London.  She has also been invited to offer her dance (nritya seva) during major temple festivals. 

She has been entrusted with lead roles in her Guru's numerous ballet productions over the years.  Among Guru Vempati's master piece dance dramas she has had the honor of dancing as Krishna alongside Smt. Sasikala in Rukmini Kalyanam (The Wedding of Rukmini) and Goddess Lakshmi in Ksheera Sagara Mathanam.  Principal roles among her Guru's choreographies include Lord Ranganatha with her Guru as Andal in Andal Kalyanam (The Bliss of Andal), Magician in Swapna Vijayam (a retelling of “Nutcracker”), and Surphanaka in Sri Rama Pattabhishekam (Sri Rama's Coronation).   Akhila was invited to play Rukmini in the Kuchipudi Academy, Chennai's production of Sri Krishna Parijatam in Irving, Texas and Satyabhama in Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendra , Vizag’s production of Bhamakalapam.

Each of these experiences have been learning opportunities which have only shown Akhila how much further she has yet to grow.

She has a passion for teaching and started this journey six years ago.  For the last four years Akhila served as a teacher at the Academy of Kuchipudi Dance, Atlanta alongside her Guru.

Akhila holds bachelors degrees in Political Economy and South Asian studies from UC Berkeley and has a Masters in Medicine.  She currently lives in North Carolina where she is also a practicing medical provider.  Akhila is dedicated to continuing her esteemed dance lineage while keeping the art relevant to life today.  In her dancing she seeks to give life to the inner world of the soul.  Akhila sees her art as a vehicle for human transformation both for performer, student, and audience.