Vedya Spurthi Konda’s journey with Kuchipudi began in San Jose at the age of four, sparked by watching Baapu’s Bhagavatam and becoming utterly captivated by the character of Satyabhama. Encouraged by family friends who recognized the resonance between her Telugu heritage and the form, she began training with Smt. Himabindu Challa. What started as a child’s fascination quickly became a deep, sustaining passion. In 2019, Vedya began advanced training with Sri Jaikishore and Smt. Padmavani Mosalikanti, continuing the rich lineage of Vempati Chinna Satyam and the Kuchipudi Art Academy.

Over the years, Vedya has performed across seven countries, presenting Kuchipudi on stages that reflect both its classical depth and global relevance. Her solo work has appeared at the Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York, London’s Nehru Centre, Chennai’s Krishna Gana Sabha (Ilamayil Thiramai Festival), and at Consulates General of India in Hong Kong and Scotland. She has also danced with the Shivamohanam ensemble at the Madras Music Academy Dance Festival (16th & 18th editions), the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, and the Konark Dance Festival. A 2017 National YoungArts Winner, she holds a Diploma in Kuchipudi from the University of Silicon Andhra and is a recipient of the 2021 Apprenticeship Grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

For Vedya, dance is both storytelling and self-discovery—a connection to culture, community, and something larger than the self. As a second-generation Indian American, she hopes to serve as a thoughtful ambassador for Kuchipudi, honoring its roots while creating space for new conversations around identity and expression. Outside the studio, she works as a UX designer at IBM, where her artistic training informs her approach to empathy, narrative, and human-centered design.

In the year ahead, she plans to explore the Pravesa Daruvu, studying its structure and expressive possibilities to create work that honors tradition while contributing to Kuchipudi’s evolving future.