Yamini Krishnamurthy
Encyclopedia
Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy (born 20 December 1940) is an eminent India
n dancer of Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi
styles of dancing.
, Andhra Pradesh
. She was born on a full moon
night, and her grandfather named her Yamini Poornatilaka, which means “a full mark on the brow of night.” She was brought up in Chidambaram
, Tamilnadu .
She spent her childhood and early teen years in Jamnagar, where her sister who is an acclaimed singer in her own right Sri Jyoti Krishnamurthy resides. Her mother tongue is Telugu.
. Some critics have observed that Yamini’s dancing reflects rhythm personified.
She has a leading place as an exponent of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She imparts dance lessons to younger dancers at her institute, Yamini School of Dance, Hauz Khas, New Delhi.
(2001), which are among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n dancer of Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the...
styles of dancing.
Early life
Yamini Krishnamurthy was born in MadanapalliMadanapalle
Madanapalle , is a town and a Municipality located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state, India - population 107,512 . Legend has it that the name of the town was originally " Maryaada raamanna puram" which has over time, changed into " Madanapalle".It is one of the biggest Revenue...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. She was born on a full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
night, and her grandfather named her Yamini Poornatilaka, which means “a full mark on the brow of night.” She was brought up in Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
, Tamilnadu .
She spent her childhood and early teen years in Jamnagar, where her sister who is an acclaimed singer in her own right Sri Jyoti Krishnamurthy resides. Her mother tongue is Telugu.
Career
Yamini Krishnamurthy debuted in 1957 in Madras. She has the honor of being Asthana Nartaki (resident dancer) of the Tirumala Tirupati DevasthanamTirumala - Tirupati
Tirupati is a major pilgrimage city located in the Chittoor district and seventh biggest city of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats at a distance of south of Hyderabad, the capital of the state, east of Bangalore, and north of Chennai.Tirupati is famous...
. Some critics have observed that Yamini’s dancing reflects rhythm personified.
She has a leading place as an exponent of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She imparts dance lessons to younger dancers at her institute, Yamini School of Dance, Hauz Khas, New Delhi.
Autobiography
She released her autobiography, “A Passion For Dance”, a book well received by the readers.Awards
Her dancing career brought her many awards, including the Padma Shree (1968) and the Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
(2001), which are among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India.
Quotes
- 'A dancer must have tremendous personality. A God like Christ and even a godman like Rajneesh had some personality. Combination of talent, dedication, creativity and being emotive is imperative. A coupling of these four qualities with technique is essential. Monotony is deterrent as it regards your style and I notice today, that new dancers perform in a startlingly similar fashion.'
- 'The past has been exciting, the present extremely challenging. As for the future, it holds a lot of promise and many surprises. And I cannot wait to unravel them!'
- 'On marriage she said 'Marriage did not happen because it was not meant to be. As for children, all my disciples are my children.'
See also
- Indian women in dance