Artist Name: Keerthana Yellapragada
Place: Bay Area, CA, USA
School/Organization: Gayatri Natyasala
Youtube:
Contact:
Email : keerthanay@gmail.com
Phone : (669) 214-6016
Profile and pictures posted with permission from the artist:
Dr. Keerthana Yellapragada is an accomplished and renowned Kuchipudi & Odissi artist, dentist, and software engineer based in the Bay Area, CA, USA.
She is known for her energetic stage presence and grace, and her performances are infused with a unique sense of charm and spirituality, drawing from her training in three primary classical dance forms: Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Bharathanatyam. She began her dance journey at a young age and has trained under renowned gurus in the United States and India.
Keerthana is a Bay Area native who was initiated into Bharatanatyam by Guru Smt. Mythili Kumar at the tender age of 5. She continued her training until the age of 12 and began her Kuchipudi training simultaneously under Guru Smt. Vaidehi Yellai at the age of 8.
At age 16, she moved to Hyderabad to pursue a career in dentistry and has been training under Guru Smt. Chavali Balatripurasundari, daughter of Padmabhusan Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam ever since. She also had the fortune to train under Kalaratna Guru Vempati Ravi Shankar during this time. She has been trained rigorously and has imbibed the essence of the Vempati style of Kuchipudi.
She has participated in numerous productions and prestigious events, including famous Kuchipudi ballets such as “Chandalika,” “Sri Krishna Parijatam,” “Rukmini Kalyanam,” and “Ksheera Sagara Madam” during her time at Abhinaya Vani Nritya Niketan. During her stay in India, she performed across numerous prestigious platforms, gaining recognition for her unique performance style.
Keerthana is now back in the United States and is pursuing dance actively alongside her dental career. She is currently training in Odissi under the internationally renowned male Odissi exponent, Guru Sri Vishnu Tattva Das, and reconnecting with her roots in Bharatanatyam.
Keerthana is the founder and artistic director of Gayatri Natyasala, located in Sunnyvale, CA, with branches in Evergreen, Santa Clara, and Fremont. She is passionate about preserving Kuchipudi's spirituality and traditions while simultaneously encouraging exploration, individuality, and creativity in her students. Keerthana urges her students to find their own artistic voice and combines her knowledge of three prominent classical art forms to enhance their performance skills.
