BY RAVI R PONANGI

Atlanta, August 2012: Kuchipudi maestro Vempati Chinna Satyam, who played a crucial role in taking the Kuchipudi art form from a tiny village Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh to the international stage, passed away on July 29 at his Greenways Road residence in Chennai on Sunday, July 29.. He was 82. 

Padma Bhushan Dr. Vempati China Satyam, who is well known as Master Garu to his students, sublimated and systematized Kuchipudi, giving it a more classical basis. He refined the art form, bringing it closer to the standards of Natya Shastra and gave it a whole new perspective and introduced new elements. He was credited with having systematized the dance form, drawing high recognition and international acclaim to it. Several leading artistes of today were once trained by him, including vaijayati mala, Sobha Naidu, Manju Bhargavi and Hema Malini. Atlanta is fortunate having Sasikala Penumarthi and Revathi Komanduri, well acclaimed disciples of Vempati China Satyam. He is survived by wife Swarajyalakshmi, two sons and three daughters. Born at Kuchipudi village in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh, where the Kuchipudi dance originated, He trained hundreds of students in Kuchipudi in Chennai.

In a condolence and prayer meeting that was held on July 29 at the Hindu temple of Atlanta, Riverdale, after observing silence in the memory of the guru, Swami Adhyatmananda, a visiting monk from India said “I don’t see Vempati China Satyam as dead. He lives on in each Kuchipudi artist. 
More than a dozen teachers of Vempati Chinna Satyam and close to 200 of their disciples offered “Nrityanjali" - shraddhanjali through dance form.


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