Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy (20 December 1940 – 3 August 2024) was an Indian classical dancer recognized for her contributions to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She was a recipient of the Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2016) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977).[1][2][3]
Yamini Krishnamurthy | |
|---|---|
 Krishnamurthy in 2014 | |
| Born | 20 December 1940 |
| Died | 3 August 2024 (aged 83) New Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Indian Classical Dance |
| Movement | Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi |
| Awards | Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2016) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977) |
Early life
editKrishnamurthy was born on 20 December 1940, in Madanapalli, in present day Chittoor district, of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Her father M. Krishnamurthy was a Sanskrit scholar. She began her dance training at the age of five at the Kalakshetra School of Dance in Madras (present day Chennai), under the guidance of Bharatanatyam danseuse Rukmini Devi Arundale.[4][5]
Krishnamurthy would in later interviews credit her growing up in Tamil Nadu, and the local cultural environment, including the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram as inspirations for her art.[6]
Career
editKrishnamurthy started her dance career with a Bharatanatyam performance in Madras in 1957.[7] Some of her Gurus during this period included Kanchipuram Ellappa Pillai, Kittappa Pillai, Dhandayuthapani Pillai, and Mylapore Gowri Ammal.[6] Though she started out with Bharatnatyam, Krishnamurthy expanded her skills to include Kuchipudi and Odissi dance forms. She is noted to have popularized these dance forms in North India in the 1960s when she relocated to Delhi.[6] After one of her performances in the national capital, the visiting Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau is noted to have gone to the stage, held her hands and remarked, "Keep dancing. Don't stop. Just keep dancing".[8] In addition to the country, her performances took her to other countries, including the US, the UK, the then USSR, Thailand, Iran and Pakistan.[9]
In recognition of her contributions, she was appointed as the Asthana Nartaki (transl. resident dancer) of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.[6] She set up her own dance training institute, Yamini School of Dance, in Hauz Khas in New Delhi.[10]
Krishnamurthy was a recipient of the Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), and Padma Vibhushan (2016) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977).[5][11][12] She also received the Natya Shastra award from the Shambhavi School of Dance in 2014.[13][14][15]
Krishnamurthy published her autobiography, A Passion for Dance, in 1995.[16][17]
-
Krishnamurthy receiving the Natya Shastra Award by Shambhavi School of Dance in Bangalore (March 2014) -
Krishnamurthy at the launch of The Magic of Kuchipudi DVD (March 2014)
Death
editKrishnamurthy died on 3 August 2024 in New Delhi, at the age of 83.[18]
References
edit- ^ "Kuchipudi ambassadors". The Hindu. 19 December 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Pratibha presents Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships, awards". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ "The Tribune — Windows — This Above All". tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ PTI (3 August 2024). "Veteran Bharatanatyam dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy dies at 84". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Bharatanatyam Veteran Yamini Krishnamurthy Dies At 84". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Swaminathan, Chitra (3 August 2024). "Yamini Krishnamurthy: vibrant dancer who strived hard to take Bharatanatyam to the global stage". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Yamini Krishnamurty". All Time Great Classical Dancers. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ "Yamini Krishnamurti, Bharatanatyam benchmark, torchbearer of Kuchipudi and Odissi, dies at 83". The Indian Express. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Narayan, Renuka (8 February 2016). "I always wanted to communicate my joy in dancing: Yamini Krishnamurti". Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Yamini Krishnamurthy". culturalindia.net. cultural india. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Padma Shri Awardees". Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
- ^ "Padma Bhushan Awardees". Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
- ^ "Lecture Demonstration at Nayika, Bangalore". The Hindu. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ "Yamini Krishnamurthy in "Naykia-Excellence Personified"". narthaki.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ "Yamini Krishnamurthy Confer with Natyashastra Award". buzzintown.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ Krishnamurti, Yamini; Khandekar, Renuka N. (1995). A Passion for Dance: My Autobiography. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-86454-6. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Book review: A Passion for Dance: an Autobiography". India Today. 29 February 1996. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Bharatanatyam icon and Padma awards winner Yamini Krishnamurthy dies at 84". Deccan Herald. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
External links
edit