Kalpalathika is the direct disciple of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, who has been the Founder-Director of Kuchipudi Art Academy, Madras. Kalpalathika made her debut at the Music Academy at Madras. Ever since, in most of the cities in India, she has given various performances. On the international scene, Kalpalathika performed in the Yuv Utsav festivals, which was held in Delhi and Jaipur. Other foregrounds of her career are: I.S.F.R.C. International Symposium held at Madras, Festival of India held in U.S.S.R in 1987 and 1996, the Festival of theatre and dance held at Netherlands and Belgium, a three month tour of the United States and Canada in 1994. She is regarded as the youngest Indian dancer, who has been invited by an American university as a visiting professor of dance.
Kalpalathika originally hails from a patrician, cultured and respected family of Landlords of Sirkali in Thanjavur. Late S.S Thiyagaja Mudaliar was her father, who has also been esteemed as the founder of Srinivas Subaraya Polytechnic in Sirkali Taluk. He had also been attached with many educational and cultural institutions. Thus this family was patronizing fine arts. With great tradition behind her, Kalpalathika became a successful dancer under the able guidance and tutelage of Dr. Vempati Chinna Sathyam.
Kalpalathika has been acclaimed for the exquisite perfection of her dance. This prominent advocator of Guru Vempati Chinna Sathyam, is also heralded as a creative artist. With her profound creativity, she carries her performances, her each and every item therefore stands as an insignia of depth, intensity and naturalness.
She has portrayed powerful lead roles of Sathyabhama, Rukmini, Padmavathi, Mahalakshmi, Parvathi, Dakshayani and Seetha on highly reputed festivals to an international audience. All over India and abroad, Kalpalathika has won the acclaim and commendation of critics and connoisseurs.
In most of her Guru`s Dance Ballets, Kalpalathika has always been an active participant. Over a great extent, her performance had been acclaimed and praiseworthily reviewed by many art critics. Aerodynamic movements and grace while on stage has been praised as the unique and distinct feature of her own and has been described as "An effortless synchronization of apparent contradictions: linearity and lyricism, symmetry and sinuosity, precision and poetry". Kalpalathika through her hard work has proved to be a dedicated disciple of Vempati.
She has been ruling the domain of Kuchipudi over a span of eighteen years. In the year 1989, she has accompanied her Guru to the Festival of India, which was held at Russia. Kalpalathika has also performed in the Festival of India held in Germany, in the year 1991. She has played the lead roles in his ballets. In recognition of her talent, she has been awarded the `BEST DANCER AWARD` in the Kuchipudi style of Dance. The prestigious Krishna Gana Sabha, Madras in the year 1993, conferred this award. At the kuchipudi mahotsav`93, she has performed. In the year 1996, yet again she has played the lead role in Rukmini Kalyanam. She has also staged a solo performance. As the main dancer, she has also assisted her Guru in the lecture demonstration session. In the year 1994, a marathon four-month tour of the United States and Canada was conducted of which Kalpalathika was a part. In this four-month tour they have staged 58 performances in 57 cities.
Again in the year 1995, on a tour to Russia, she has performed in the RITUSAMHAR with senior dancer from other styles of dance. This tour was sponsored by the ICCR. The Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi, in the year 1995, conducted a lecture demonstrations called the Nrityotsava. Kalpalathika performed there and took part at the lecture demonstrations also. She has also bagged the honor of performing in the first World Music Theatre Festival, which was held in the Netherlands and Belgium in the year 1996. Along with her guru, she has traveled Dubai and Kuwait and had the honour of performing before Mr. B. M. C Nayar, the Ambassador of India, Kuwait in the year1997. Kalpalathika has also pocketed the honor of performing at the prestigious Swarna Samaroh immortalizing with the 50th independent year of India at Delhi in the year 1997.
Kalpalathika has been to a great degree heralded for impersonating the roles of `Padmavati in Srinivasa Kalyanam`, `the Powerful Dakshayani` and `Parvati in Hara vilasam`, `the devoted Rukmini in Rukmini Kalyanam`, `the proud and unrelenting Sathyabhama in Parijatham` and as `Seetha in Ramayanam` (Siva dhanur Bhangam). She has also performed at the I.S.F.R.C. International symposium, which was held at Madras. At the Yuva Utsavs held at Delhi and Jaipur, she has performed.. Kalpalathika is the recipient of the Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram scholarship for Nattuvangam. She also holds a Masters Degree in English Literature, a diploma in Computer integrated Management course, Certification in Oracle Financials and Diploma in Web Administration besides her dance achievement.
Presently she is the Director of Saundaryalahari School Of Dance at Chennai. To teach dance theory and practical for two semesters, Kalpalathika was invited to the University of Richmond by the Department of International Education and the Department of Theatre and Dance. On the cultural and religious aspects of India, she gave several guest lectures. In addition to her lecture demonstrations, she has also given performances in the university campus. In theory and practice and Hinduism and its allied arts, she taught a three-credit course to the students on Kuchipudi dance.
