Jaya Rama Rao & Vanisree Rao

Jaya Rama Rao and Vanasree Rao are among the leading Kuchipudi dancers today. Jaya Rama Rao received training in kuchipudi dance initially at Siddhendra Kala Kshetram, under Chinta Krishnamurti, Vedantam Paravateesam, Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma and P.V.G Krishna Sarma and was later a student of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam at Kuchipudi Art Academy, Madras. Earlier in his dance career, he had been mostly performing female roles in traditional dance-dramas; later, he started dancing solo.

Krishna Kumar, Jaya Rama Rao and Vempati Chinna Satyam and was a recipient of a Government of India Fellowship for research in Kuchipudi. After their marriage, Jaya Rama Rao and Vanashree Rao have been performing together and have established themselves as a leading dance duo in the field of Kuchipudi. They have participated in a number of major dance events including the Khajuraho Festival, the Chidambaram Natyanjali Festival, the Kuchipudi Festival, Bombay, etc. They have also performed abroad, featuring in important event sincluding the Adelaide Festival, Sanskriti Festival and the Ocean and Cervantino Festival.

Jaya Rama Rao has been teaching dance in Delhi for almost thirty years; his disciples include the well known dancer Swapnasundari. The couple have been honoured with the Sahitya kala Parishad Award of Delhi.