Yamini Krishnamurti

🪔 About

Yamini Krishnamurti (born December 20, 1940, in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India – died August 3, 2024, in New Delhi, India) was an iconic Indian classical dancer renowned for her contributions to Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi. Her grandfather, a Sanskrit scholar, named her 'Yamini Poornatilaka,' meaning 'a beautiful mark on the brow of light.' She began her dance training at the tender age of five at the Kalakshetra School of Dance in Chennai under the tutelage of the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale. After acquiring a strong foundation, she pursued higher studies under eminent masters such as Kanchipuram Ellappa Pillai, Thanjavur Kittapa Pillai, Dhandayudhapani Pillai, and Mylapore Gouri Amma for Bharatanatyam. For Kuchipudi, she trained under Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Shastri, Chinta Krishnamurthi, and Pasumarthy Venugopal Krishna Sharma. She also learned Odissi from Guru Pankaj Charan Das and Kelucharan Mohapatra. Krishnamurti made her debut performance in Chennai in 1957, quickly rising to prominence in India's dance scene. She played a significant role in popularizing Kuchipudi, which was then emerging as a solo dance form in Andhra Pradesh, and brought national and international recognition to classical Indian dance styles. In addition to dance, she was trained in Carnatic vocal music and the Veena. She founded the Yamini School of Dance in Delhi in 1990 and later ran the Nritya Kaustubha Institute, where she continued to train numerous students. Her autobiography, "A Passion for Dance," was published in 1995. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (1968), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2016), Asthana Nartaki, Natya Shastra award (2014), Akademi Ratna (Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi) (2010).