Inspired by his mentor Dr. Vempati, Yagna has set before him the ideal of
dedicating his career for the cause of Kuchipudi by focusing his efforts in taking
this art ...
Mission
Yagna Mutnuri
Yagna’s Mission Inspired by his mentor Dr. Vempati, Yagna has set before him the ideal of dedicating his career for the cause of Kuchipudi by focusing his efforts in taking this art form to all corners of the world. His commitment to the cause of Kuchipudi has already become instrumental in launching a comparative study of oriental and western ballets with the sole aim of placing Kuchipudi ballet on par with other renowned ballets of the world.
Life Outside the Stage Yagna resides in the Washington DC area where is he working as software engineer for VitalSpring Technologies. He received a Masters in Computer Applications from India and was been working in the US for the past few years. Yagna teaches Kuchipudi dance as the lead instructor for Sivam Inc. in the Washington area.
Rise of Yagna Mutnuri Mutnuri Yagna Narayana Sarma belongs to family great artists in India. The family originally hails from a village called Kodali (near Kuchipudi) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Yagna is the grandson of late Sri Mutnuri Yagna Narayana Sarma Bhagavatar who excelled in the genre of “Harikatha” (Music Monologue). Recognizing Yagna's talents as a child, his father Sri Mutnuri Kameswara Rao deliberately took him to the famous dance maestro Dr. Vempati Chinna Stayam for formal initiation into the realm of dance. As a result Yagna's tenacity to excel in the field of dance enabled him to become a perfect artist of the Kuchipudi style under the august care of his Guru Dr. Vempati. Yagna's presentations have imbibed all the key tenets of dance. His entry into this domain of dance as a child prodigy has won for him several laurels..,. Making best of both the worlds, academic and artistic, Yagna grew into an artist simultaneously pursuing his studies in Information Technology. Yagna was initiated into the realm of dance at a very young age in 1984. Since that time, he has demonstrated a tenacity to excel in the field of dance through his attention to tradition and perfection. Yagna's style of dance is rich in his precise footwork, as well as posture which are best complemented by his deep understanding of expression, or abhinaya. His unflinching faith, knowledge of the scriptures (Natya Sastra) and command of the Telugu language have enabled him to reveal a powerful force of divinity within the art form that awakens the audience to a heightened level of experience as he dances.
Yagna's National Exposure In 1988, Yagna performed as child Krishna in the dance drama “Srinivasa Kalyanam” which was telecast on Indian television on many occasions, and has been featured on the National program of Dance and Music. Yagna has performed extensively over the past two decades, including many roles in the famous ballets of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. Including: • Rukmini Kalyanam • Hara Vilasam • Chandalika • Srinivasa Kalyanam • Ardhanareeswaram • Abhignana Sakuntalam • Sripada Parijatham • Kirataarjuneeyam • Siva Dhanurbhangam (Ramayanam) • Ksheerasagara Madhanam • Gopika Krishna
Yagna - International Exposure Yagna toured across the United States and Europe extensively. He accompanied Dr. Vempati's troupe in 1998, 2000, 2004 during the Cultural meets of ATA (America Telugu Association) and TANA (Telugu Association of North America) and gave performances at various venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington, Byham Theatre in Pittsburgh, Fergusson Theatre in Tampa,. He also toured France in 2001 during the Paris Quartier De'te dance festival where he gave memorable performances.
Yagna - On the Silver Screen Continuing the family tradition in the realm of cinema, Yagna followed the foot steps of his father and uncle and played memorable roles in South Indian Movies such as “Swathikiranam” and “Aapadbandhavudu” under the direction of Sri K.Viswanath. He also enacted as Gunanidhi in the tele film “Gunanidhi” in small screen of South India.
