Sita Vakkalanka

🪔 About

Sita Vakkalanka is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and a principal dancer with the Anubhava Dance Company and Shri Kalaa Mandir. She commenced her Bharatanatyam training in 2008 under the tutelage of Guru Sujatha Srinivasan, the Artistic Director of Shri Kalaa Mandir. Vakkalanka marked her professional debut with her Arangetram in 2015. She has garnered praise for her artistry through numerous performances at various festivals in both the United States and India. Her competitive achievements include top honors at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, Natya Idol in St. Louis, and National YoungArts. Most recently, she secured first place at the New Jersey Natya Sangamam Natyanjali 2023 competition and has won this competition on multiple occasions. She was also awarded the title of “Nritya Tara” by House of Kala (WA) and has been invited to perform at prestigious venues in Chennai during the Marghazi season, such as Narada Gana Sabha and Brahma Gana Sabha. In addition to her dance pursuits, Sita Vakkalanka is a Carnatic vocalist, having trained under Dr. Ravikumar Malladi of the Malladi Brothers since 2008. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 and is dedicated to maintaining a harmonious balance between her professional career and her artistic endeavors. Awards & Honours: Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana (top honors, first place in advanced performance category) (2023), Natya Idol, National YoungArts, New Jersey Natya Sangamam Natyanjali (first place) (2023), Nritya Tara.