Renowned Kuchipudi dance guru Vempati Chinna Satyam passed away in Chennai on Sunday. He was 83.
Chinna Satyam, recipient of numerous awards including Padma Bhushan, died of old age related ailments, sources said here.
Born at Kuchipudi village in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh, where the Kuchipudi dance originated, Chinna Satyam strove for popularising the unique dance form across the world.
Chinna Satyam, who is hailed for refining the dance form by introducing new elements into it, trained hundreds of students in Kuchipudi in Chennai.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan, an honorary doctorate from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and several other awards from different state governments and other institutions.
Condoling the death of Chinna Satyam, Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister V Vasant Kumar said the dance guru had dedicated his life to Kuchipudi.
Chinna Satyam spread the dance around the world by giving performances in about 60 countries and training about 10,000 pupils, the minister said.