Sujata Vinjamuri

🪔 About

Sujata Vinjamuri is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, guru, and choreographer, primarily known for her expertise in Kuchipudi. She is the founder and artistic director of the Kuchipudi Art Academy of Dance, based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Vinjamuri commenced her Kuchipudi training with Ms. Sumathi Kaushal and further refined her style under the tutelage of the world-renowned exponent, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. Beyond Kuchipudi, she also pursued studies in Kathak and Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Guru Gopal Rao and Ms. Uma Rama Rao. Sujata Vinjamuri holds a Master's degree from Osmania University. Throughout her career, Vinjamuri has garnered significant critical acclaim for her performances and thought-provoking productions in both the USA and India. She has conceived and produced various thematic dance presentations, including "Bhagavad Gita," "Om Shanti," and "Kundalini". Her work extends to film, having produced a documentary titled "The Temple and the Swan," which offers a comparative study of Kuchipudi and Western Ballet dance. In 2008, her team presented the dance drama "Rules of Life," based on the Vedas. More recently, in November 2024, she led the US-based Sapt Tandav group in a "Cosmic Shiva" dance performance at the Dev Deepawali festival in Varanasi, India. As an educator, she currently teaches Indian dance to over 40 students at her academy and has trained over 5,000 individuals in Kuchipudi dance over the years. Awards & Honours: Kalaratna, Lifetime Achievement Award (2025).