My passion for dance was initiated through my training and commitment to Kuchipudi. I am extremely honored to be a student of Dr. Kamala Reddy, one of the most cherished students of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam and a worldwide leading Kuchipudi exponent. Being born and raised in the US, I was fortunate to be exposed to the magic of Kuchipudi at a very earlier age. Witnessing one of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam’s grand dance ballets as a five year old kid, I instantly fell deeply in love with the art form and it ignited my burning desire to one day be a part of such an epic dance-drama. I received my initial Kuchipudi foundation from Dr. Chitra Akkoor, another esteemed student of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, before receiving my training from Dr. Kamala Reddy.  As a student of Dr. Kamala Reddy, I was privileged to be given the chance to participate with highly accomplished dancers in Kuchipudi dance drama productions such as Chandalika and Rukmini Kalyanam in Houston, Cleveland and Detroit. The intensive training in dance and acting, extensive sets and costumes, and observing the depth of talent and dedication of such captivating dancers truly built memories I shall cherish forever.

 

While studying at the University of Pittsburgh, I developed an interest in choreography when a small group of us started Pitt’s first Indian classical dance team, Nrityamala. I was also a part of the competitive Raas team at the University of Pittsburgh for four years, which involved traveling with a team to various US cities and competing against other collegiate teams chosen by a highly selective process. Having thoroughly enjoyed choreographing and dancing Garba and Raas at the University of Pittsburgh, I founded and led University of British Columbia’s first Raas team, Phatakraas, while completing my Ph.D in chemistry. With a desire to explore other dance styles and move toward more drama-based productions, we transformed the Raas team into the first national competitive Bollywood dance team, Junoon, at the University of British Columbia. We put together mini dance theater productions such as our own interpretation of Cinderella and Lion King, incorporating a variety of forms of Indian dance styles and competed among top Bollywood dance teams across US and Canada. My love for dance-theater also drove me to produce custom, full-length dance-theater productions for weddings, where I enjoyed writing scripts based on the couple’s love story and creating dances, film and music to bring their story to life on stage with their family and friends. 

The encouragement and excitement I gained from coordinating, traveling for and building dance productions has thoroughly inspired me to expand upon these experiences through the Nrityenakatha Dance-Theater Company. Nrityenakatha has enabled me to satisfy my passion for not only dance and acting, but for everything from script writing, music/video editing, choreography and research to teaching, directing, and engaging with a diverse range of people. Nothing can replace the thrill of uncovering and reading ancient Indian stories and experiencing these different worlds on stage.

Most importantly, I strive to one day do justice to the Kuchipudi art form by bringing out the intricate beauty of each movement and the depth of expressions as instilled by the divine individuals that I am blessed to call my Gurus.