Yamini Krishnamurthy

Born in the year 1940 to a Telugu family at Chidambaram in Tamilnadu, Yamini Krishnamurthy is an eminent Bharatnatyam dancer, who has swayed the entire country with her fabulous dance performance. She is also well known for her Kuchipudi dance style. When she was five years old, she started learning Bharatnatyam dance from the Kalashetra School of Dance in Chennai. She took training under the guidance of Rukmini Devi Arundale. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Bharatnatyam dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy.

After completing her basic learning at Kalashetra, she took further training from renowned exponents such as Thanjavur Kittapa Pillai, Dhandayudhpani Pillai, Kanchipuram Ellapa Pillai, and Mylapore Gouri Amma. She went on stage for the first time in the year 1957 in Chennai. She won the hearts of people with her charisma and heart throbbing performance. 

By the year 1960, she had set up her foothold in this industry and earned a name for herself. Her name appeared in the list of leading dancers of India and she has strived hard to maintain that position till date. She has been giving wonderful performances for the past four decades. She also has made an immense contribution in popularizing the Kuchipudi dance. Her dance performances brought international recognition to classical folk dances of India.

During her long career, she has won many accolades such as Padmashri (1968), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1977) and Padma Bhushan (2001). She was also honored with the title of `Asthana Narthaki'. She has been pursuing an active career. She produced a TV serial for Doordarshan, which was based on the Indian dance styles. She also wrote an autobiography titled "A Passion for Dance". In the year 1990, she established the 'Yamini School of Dance' in New Delhi, where she teaches dance to the budding stars of tomorrow.