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Neelima started learning dance in 1985. Most of the traditional performing arts are taught as a mentorship in India. She joined the Kuchipudi Kalakshetra, a premier institution for Kuchipudi in 1987 and was mentored by Guru Hari Rama Murthy and internationally renowned choreographer and Guru Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam. Both her mentors hail from the village of Kuchipudi and are the hereditary practioners of the art form. Performing since the year 1991 she has many solo performances to her credit, winning the approval of critics and dance lovers alike. Her choreography explores new dimensions in the art form of Kuchipudi. Her works are firmly rooted in the traditional but explores themes which are universal in essence using the codified technique of the dance tradition as a medium for self-expression.