Vedantam Parvateesam

🪔 About

Vedantam Parvateesam (born September 24, 1920, in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India) was a prominent Indian dancer, Kuchipudi Guru, and scholar. He received a traditional upbringing in the local dance-drama form, music, and literature. He honed his Kuchipudi Yakshagana skills under the tutelage of esteemed gurus such as Chinta Venkataramayya, Vedantam Ramakrishnayya, and Vedantam Raghavayya. His musical acumen was developed under Yeleswarapu Sitaramanjaneyulu. Parvateesam performed as a youth but later specialized in education and teaching. He was instrumental in establishing the Shri Siddhendra Kalakshetram in Kuchipudi, co-founding it with Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao in 1952 (or helping to establish it in 1957, according to other sources). He served as its principal for several decades until his retirement, and also imparted his knowledge in Ongole and Tenali in Guntur district. His significant contributions to Kuchipudi include authoring definitive editions of central Kalapam texts, such as "Bhama-kalapam" in 1964 and "Golla-kalapam" in 1986. He also penned and choreographed numerous Kuchipudi dance-dramas, including "Eruka," "Ardhanareeswarudu," "Dakshayagnam," and "Pravarakhya," among others. Additionally, he composed many Tillanas and Javalies and contributed extensively to dance literature through articles in the "Natyakala" monthly magazine. In 1974, Vedantam Parvateesam designed a flag for the Kuchipudi dance form, featuring a sugarcane stalk and Satyabhama's braid, and also wrote and tuned the Kuchipudi patriotic song "Vande vande vaani bhavani." For his profound contributions to the Kuchipudi dance form, Vedantam Parvateesam was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1994. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1994).