Kuchipudi Guru A B Balakondala Rao is known to her students, disciples,
well-wishers as Balakka. She is one of the prominent disciples of
Kuchipudi maestro Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam and runs Kuchipudi Kalaa
Kendram in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. She started her dance at a
very young age of eight years and it was all her determination that her
father left her at the dance school, to stay back, go to school from the
academy and most importantly learn dance as it happens in the
traditional Guru-Sishya parampara manner. She became a key faculty
at the academy. Ravi Sankar Vempati, her master’s son learnt from
Balakka. She participated in the many dance programs, projects and tours
along with her guru.Thereafter, she continued her dance without a break and founded Kuchipudi Kalaa Kendram after her marriage. The institute is now a world-renowned Kuchipudi school and has been continuously producing best talent year after year including Vidya, Aditya Brahmam etc.
Recently in the month of May 2012, she was awarded Kala Ratna by Government of Andhra Pradesh and I met her to congratulate her besides asking her opinion and thoughts about the award itself and present day Kuchipudi.
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