Bharatanatyam maestro from the land of Kuchipudi

J. Satyanarayana Murthy with statues of Kuchipudi maestros at Kuchipudi village in Krishna District.

Born into a traditional family of Kuchipudi dancers, Josyula Satyanarayana Murthy, a disciple of Kuchipudi maestro Vempati China Satyam, has had an inspiring journey while promoting Bharatanatyam, another classical dance form.

He was actively encouraged by his father Josyula Krishna Murthy, a renowned Mridangam player who passed away in Chennai on Monday.

In 1982, Mr. Satyanarayana, who was then 17, shifted from Kuchipudi to Chennai to learn Bharatanatyam at India’s premiere dance academy, the Kalakshetra.

“My roots are in Kuchipudi village and dance. However, I have no regrets in becoming a Bharatanatyam teacher. My preference is to promote Indian classical dance, irrespective of its name and style,” says Mr. Satyanarayana, now an Assistant Professor at Kalakshetra.

“Elders, including several Kuchipudi maestros, in the early 1980s, had lent their support in my efforts to become a Bharatanatyam exponent.

“However, my father always felt happy to have a Bharatanatyam dancer in our family,” he adds.

A member of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Mr. Satyanarayana selects people from the rural parts of Tamil Nadu to train them in Bharatanatayam at his dance school, Sri Bharakshetram, which functions at a Durga temple in Chennai. “The school is meant for rural youth with zeal to learn the dance form. However, one has to have dedication,” he says.