V. Satyanarayana Sarma | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1935-09-09)9 September 1935 |
| Died | 16 November 2012(2012-11-16) (aged 77) Vijayawada,Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Other names | Satyam |
| Occupation(s) | Classical dancer Choreographer |
| Known for | Kuchipudi |
| Spouse | Lakshminarasamma |
| Children | One son and two daughters |
| Parent(s) | Vedantam Venkataratnam Subbamma |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Kalidas Samman |
Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma (1935–2012), popularly known asSatyam, was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, considered by many as one of the leading exponents of the classical dance form ofKuchipudi.[1][2] He was known for his portrayal of female characters such asUsha (Usha Parinayam),Satyabhama (Bhama Kalapam),Deva Devi (Vipra Narayana),Mohini (Mohini Rukmangada),Sasirekha (Sasirekha Parinayam) andGollabhama (Gollakalapam).[3][note 1] He was a recipient of several honors includingKalidas Samman,Sangeet Natak Akademi Award andSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of thePadma Shri, in 1970, for his contributions to Dance.[4]
Satyanarayana Sarma was born on 9 September 1935 atKuchipudi,[note 2] a small village inKrishna district of the south Indian state ofAndhra Pradesh inVedantam family which is known for itsKuchipudi tradition, to Vedantam Venkataratnam and Subbamma.[6] He started training Kuchipudi at the age of five under his elder brother, Vedantam Prahalada Sarma, and later trained under known exponents, Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastri and Chinta Krishnamurthy.[7] He also did training in classical music under Yeleswarapu Seetharamanjaneyulu and Sishta Brahmaiah Sastry, asBhagawata Melam (Kuchipudi Yakshagaanam), a dance-drama format of Kuchipudi required the performer to sing as well.[8] He made his debut at the age of fourteen, performing in two melams,Harischandra andRamanatakam, staged at a local temple by the group led by Pasumarthy Kondalarayudu. His first major performance came at the age on nineteen, when he portrayed the role ofParvathi inUsha Parinayam, staged inSapru House, Delhi.[6]
Sarma continued performing as female characters in many melams and his portrayal of Sathyabhama in the dance-drama,Bhama Kalapam, reportedly written by Siddhendra Yogi[note 3] later became his signature role.[6] Gollabhama, Mohini, Sasirekha and Devadevi were some of his other notable characters. He is known to have developed a new ethos inabhinaya, often termed asEka Patra, which, in the beginning, did not meet with the approval of many traditionalists of the art form. He performed in over 10,000 stages, including in front ofRukmini Devi Arundale, the founder ofKalakshetra. In 1967, he performed as a male dancer in a dance sequence,Girija Kalyanam, in the Telugu film,Rahasyam, directed byVedantam Raghavayya. Towards the latter part of his life, he was more involved in teaching the dance atVenkatarama Natya Mandali, a dance school dedicated to Kuchipudi, at his native place.[10] He also wrote several texts on the dance form andNatya Shastra,Abhinaya Darpanam,Tandava Lakshanam andAlankara Shastram feature among them.[6]
Sarma was married to Lakshminarasamma and the couple had a son and two daughters.[11] He died on 16 November 2012, at the age of 77, succumbing to respiratory illnesses at a private hospital inVijayawada.[12][13] His life has been documented in a film,I am Satyabhama, directed by Dulam Satyanarayana.[14][15]
Sarma received theSangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1961,[16] making him the first Kuchipudi exponent to receive the honor.[7] Six years later, the Akademi honored him again, withSangeet Natak Akademi Ratna in 1967.[17] The Government of India included him in theRepublic Day honors list for the civilian honor of thePadma Shri in 1970.[4] The Government of Madhya Pradesh also honored him with their civilian award,Kalidas Samman, in 1988.[7]
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