Sri Ravi Shankar Vempati

🪔 About

Kalaratna Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar was a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, renowned for his contributions to Kuchipudi. Born on October 11, 1969, in Chennai (then Madras), he was the fifth and youngest child of the legendary Kuchipudi Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam and Swarajyalakshmi Vempati. His initial dance training began secretly under Smt. Bala Kondala Rao, a senior disciple of his father. Later, he received intensive training directly from his father, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, for over ten years. He started dancing at a very young age, around one to one and a half years old, and began serious learning at seven or eight, considering dance as a profession by his mid-teens. An accomplished musician, he was also a disciple of the Carnatic vocal music legend, Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna. Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar was a mesmerizing performer, known for the fluidity and grace of his movements. He performed as a soloist at numerous national and international festivals, including the Khajuraho Festival, Konark Festival, Avignon Festival, Euro Festival, and the Kennedy Centre. From 1994 to 2004, he played leading male roles in most of his father's productions, such as Shiva in 'Haravilasam' and 'Ardhanareeswaram', Rama in 'Ramayanam', Dusyanta in 'Abhignyana Shakuntalam', and Arjuna in 'Kirata Arjuneeyam'. Beyond performing, he was a prolific choreographer, composer, and writer. He choreographed his first dance piece at the age of 12 and went on to create over 100 solo items and three major dance dramas, including 'Navadurga', 'Ramana Katha', and 'Sri Leela Ganapathy'. He composed music for numerous keerthanas, javalis, and thillanas, often writing his own lyrics. As a dedicated guru, he began conducting workshops globally from 1995. He taught at the Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai from 1991 and founded the "Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar School of Kuchipudi". His wife, Priyanka Vempati, supported him in teaching and choreography and now directs his school. Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar passed away on January 23, 2018, in Hyderabad, at the age of 48, due to a kidney ailment. Awards & Honours: Kala Ratna, Natyakala Surya, Siddhendra Puraskar, Best male dancer, Vempati Pedda Satyam award.