Gurus
SASIKALA PENUMARTHI
A beloved disciple of Padmabhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam, Smt. Sasikala Penumarthi has been a guiding light of effortless mastery and expression for generations of his students. In the 1980s and early '90s, Sasikala toured extensively across India, Europe, the former USSR, and the United States, performing the star roles in her Guru’s renowned dance dramas. As a soloist, she graced prestigious venues such as the famed Khajuraho Dance Festival, before relocating to the United States after her marriage.
In 1998, Sasikala founded the Academy of Kuchipudi Dance in Atlanta, where she has devoted over two decades to nurturing the next generation of Kuchipudi dancers. She holds the unique distinction of having faithfully produced many of her Guru's masterpieces alongside her students, preserving the legacy of the art form from the early days of her teaching. Alongside these, she has created numerous original dance dramas and solo choreographies, expanding the breadth of Kuchipudi expression.
Recognized as a Master Artist by the Georgia Arts Council and a Master Teacher by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Sasikala’s contributions to the arts have been widely acknowledged. Since 1999, she has served as an Artist Affiliate at Emory University, where she teaches a popular credit course on Kuchipudi, Indian dance, and culture in collaboration with faculty from the Dance and Asian Studies programs.
A steadfast carrier of her Guru’s vision, Sasikala’s life is a meditation on the purity of emotion and divine beauty—qualities that define both her choreography and teaching.
BALA KONDALA RAO
A.B. Bala Kondala Rao, who is fondly known as "Balakka," is one of the senior most disciples of Padmabhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam. She toured all over the world as a senior soloist and principal dancer in her Guru's ballets. She was known to breathe new life into the innumerable roles she has played in Guru Satyam’s memorable ballets. Balakka was also the prime teacher next to her Guru in Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai molding countless present day Kuchipudi gurus and playing a pivotal part in in the choreography of many master pieces of her Guru. She later established her own school--Kuchipudi Kalakshetra--in Visakhapatnam. Balakka has choreographed several ballets and solo items over the years which have been met with accolades in India and abroad. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the arts, Balakka has been honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India’s highest national accolade in the field of performing arts, acknowledging her mastery and significant impact on the world of Kuchipudi dance.
PASUMARTHY RATTAIAH SHARMA
Shri Pasumarthy Rattaiah Sarma was born in 1940 in Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh, and received training in Kuchipudi Yakshagana dance under eminent masters including Vedantam Prahlada Sarma, Vedantam Parvatheesan, Chinta Krishnamurthy, and Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma. He has enjoyed a distinguished career as a Kuchipudi Yakshagana artist, gaining accolades for his convincing portrayal of various characters in Yakshaganams as well his stellar performances of solo items. He was famous for his excellence in Stree Vesham (female role). Shri Rattaiah Sarma has served as visiting professor at the Potti Shriramulu Telugu University and has taught at the Siddhendrayogi Kuchipudi Kalapeetham in Kuchipudi in addition to teaching numerous students throughout his life irrespective of their caste and gender. He received the highest national award in the arts--the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award--for Kuchipudi in 2006. Despite his numerous laurels Shri Rattaiah Sharma chooses to lead a very humble and remote life way from all fame and glory. His sole purpose of life remains to preserve and perpetuate the timeless tradition of Kuchipudi Yakshagana.