Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry

🪔 About

Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry, a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, was born on June 3, 1963, in Kuchipudi village, Andhra Pradesh, to Suryanarayana and Sathyavatamma. His father, Vedantam Suryanarayana Sarma, played a pivotal role in introducing him to the rich literature of Kuchipudi dance-drama. Sastry's extensive training in Kuchipudi was under the tutelage of several eminent gurus, including his elder brother Vedantam Radheshyam, Vedantam Parvatheesam, Vempati Pedasatyam, and Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma. He is particularly noted for having refined his dance style under the legendary Vempati Chinna Satyam. Academically accomplished, Sastry earned a bachelor's degree in Telugu from Andhra University in 1984, followed by a master's degree in Telugu from Osmania University in 1990. His scholarly pursuits culminated in a doctorate from Osmania University, where his research focused on the "Development of Kuchipudi Drama in Telugu." Throughout his career, Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry has excelled as a choreographer, writer, actor, and researcher. He began his choreographic journey at the young age of 13 with his first Yakshagana performance. His creative repertoire includes the authorship and choreography of approximately 80 dance dramas, exploring various *prakriyas* of Kuchipudi. In 1986, he pioneered a form called "Kelika," designed for contemporary themes. He has also contributed significantly to Kuchipudi literature with his Telugu books: *Kuchipudi Vyasa Manjari*, *Gajananeeyam*, and *Etadu Satyabhama*. As a performer and educator, Sastry has presented Kuchipudi at prestigious events both nationally and internationally, conducting numerous lecture-demonstrations and workshops. His international tours have included performances in Syria (1998), Britain (2003), and the United States (2008). He has been a dedicated teacher at institutions such as the Vedantam Kuchipudi Kala Parishad in Vijayawada and the Tyagaraja Gana Sabha in Hyderabad. Notably, he served as the Principal of the Siddhendra Yogi Kuchipudi Kalapeetham, affiliated with the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Kuchipudi, where he guided many students through Master's and PhD programs in Kuchipudi dance. Awards & Honours: Guru Satkaaram Award of Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam (2006), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2012), Nritya Vidwan Award by the Government of Odisha (2012), Ugadi Puraskar conferred by Shivananda Trust (2012), Sobha Naidu Smarak Excellence Award (2023), Sri Siddendrayogi Award (2023), Ghantasala Puraskar (2023).