Vedantam Radheshyam

🪔 About

Born on November 1, 1955, in Kuchipudi village, Andhra Pradesh, Vedantam Radheshyam hails from a traditional Kuchipudi family. He was introduced to the literature of Kuchipudi dance-drama by his father, Vedantam Suryanarayana Sarma. He received extensive training from a young age under several esteemed gurus, including his brother Vedantam Seeta Rama, P.V.G. Krishna Sarma, Vedantam Parvateesam, Vempati Pedasatyam, Pasumarthy Krishnamurthy, Vempati Chinna Satyam, and Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma. He also holds a Diploma (Honours) in Kuchipudi Dance. Vedantam Radheshyam is recognized as a senior performer and teacher of Kuchipudi dance, excelling as both a Nattuvanar (conductor of a dance recital) and Sutradhar (narrator). He has performed widely in major dance festivals, taking on various significant roles such as Bala Krishna, Chitralekha, Gopika, Narada in *Sri Krishna Parijatam*, Parvathy in *Parvathy Kalyanam*, Satyabhama in *Bhamakalapam*, and Hiranyakasyapa in *Bhakta Prahlad*. His performances have taken him extensively within India and abroad, including the U.S.A. and Europe, where he has conducted workshops and given performances. He has performed in over 2000 dance programs. He began imparting training in Kuchipudi dance and music in 1970. He has taught at various institutions, notably the Kuchipudi Art Academy and Siddhendra Yogi Kuchipudi Kalapeetham of the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, where he also served as Incharge Principal and professor. Currently, he continues to train young artists at his own institution, Vedantam Wari Melam, located in Kuchipudi village. Vedantam Radheshyam has mentored numerous students, including Sandeep Bodhanker and Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry. He has also been involved in revising an official textbook on Kuchipudi dance for the Karnataka government. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2014), Kala Neerajan (1995), Vishesha Puraskar (2008), Hamsa (2013).