Maddali Usha Gayatri

🪔 About

Maddali Usha Gayatri, born Mallavarapu Usha Gayatri on April 26, 1955, in Kurnool, Andhra State (now Andhra Pradesh), is a distinguished Indian Kuchipudi exponent, danseuse, guru, and choreographer. She began her dance training at the age of four under Sri Dayal Saran, a disciple of Uday Shankar. Although initially trained in Kathak and Odissi, her passion led her to master Kuchipudi under her guru, Vedantam Jagannath Sarma, at Kuchipudi Kalakshetra in Hyderabad. She also trained in Yakshagana from V. Satyanarayana Sarma, Vempati Chinna Satyam, and Vedantam Prahlada Sarma, and learned nattuvangam from Kamalarani. Gayatri earned her Master of Arts from Hyderabad Central University in 1988 and later a Doctorate from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, where she researched and published her thesis on the role of Satyabhama in Telugu literature and dance. She worked for Punjab National Bank for over 25 years before voluntarily retiring. In 1983, she established the Nritya Kinnera Kuchipudi dance academy in Hyderabad, with a branch in Mumbai, where she imparts training to young aspirants. As of January 2018, 44 of her disciples had debuted on stage under her supervision. Gayatri is critically acclaimed for her choreography and performances, which often include ballets based on mythological, historical, and social themes. Notable choreographies include “Nrityam Darsayami,” a 12-hour uninterrupted performance by 12 disciples, “Matru Devo Bhava” (2011), “Kunti Vilapam” (2011), “Pushkara Pulakita Godavari” (2015), “Amrapali” (2015), and “Swetcha Bharat” (2017). In May 2016, she released a book titled “Kuchipudi Art and Satyabhama.” Awards & Honours: Hamsa Award (Kala Ratna) (2001), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2023), Nritya Ratna, Ugadi Puraskaram.