Kuchipudi Dance Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam passed away

Kuchipudi Dance Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam passed away on 29 July 2012. He was 83 years old.  He was honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in the year 1998. He was born in Kuchipudi Village in Krishna District of coastal Andhra Pradesh where Kuchipudi dance was originated.

Vempti Chinna had passed through various milestones to make this unique form of Dance popular across the world. He had trained various students in Chennai. Chinna Satyam performed the Kuchipudi Dance in 60 countries and trained 10,000 children.  

The Famous Guru, Vempati commenced Kuchipudi Art Academy in Madras in the year 1963. The Solo items and Dance Dramas were prepared by the students of the academy that were staged all over the India and abroad. Sri Krishna Parijatham was the first Dance Drama composed by Chinna Satyam.

He was honoured by Sangeet Peeth of Bombay. Madras Music Academy honoured him with Asthana Natyacharya of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. He was also honoured by Andhra University with Natya Kalasaagara of Waltair, Raja-Lakshmi Award of Madras, Kalaprapoorna . He was awarded with Asthana Natyacharya of Pittsburgh and National Award from Central Sangeet Naatak Akademi, New Delhi.

He was honoured with Kalidas Puraskar and Kalaimamani by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Government of Tamil Nadu respectively. He was also honoured with a Doctorate degree by Andhra University.